Russia claims it took control of 2 more settlements in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region
Russian forces captured villages of Horikhove, Oleksiivka, claims Defense Ministry
Russian missiles damaged several buildings in the eastern Ukrainian town of Druzhkivka, Druzhkivka, Ukraine on June 8, 2025.
ISTANBUL
Russia claimed on Thursday that it had taken control of two more settlements amid its ongoing offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, which borders Russia.
A Defense Ministry statement claimed Russian forces had captured the villages of Horikhove and Oleksiivka, situated about 29 and 34 kilometers (18 and 21 miles) southwest of the city of Pokrovsk, a key front in the ongoing conflict in the region.
Russia has frequently claimed territorial gains as part of its offensive, particularly in the Donetsk region, where heavy fighting has intensified around Pokrovsk, which serves as a critical logistics hub for Ukraine's military in the area.
The two villages are also located near the border between Ukraine’s Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, the latter of which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Moscow seeks to cross into as its offensive in the country continues.
Earlier, Ukraine’s General Staff claimed its forces repelled 62 assaults by Russian forces near 14 settlements in the Pokrovsk front, including Horikhove and Oleksiivka.
Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on Russia’s claims, and independent verification is difficult due to the ongoing conflict, now in its fourth year.
