Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow claims capture of towns in east as six dead in overnight attacks
Russian forces have claimed a breakthrough in capturing two settlements in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region as an onslaught of overnight bombardment across Ukraine killed six people.
The Russian defence ministry announced the capture of Petropavlivka, a village near the contested towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove, and Vremivka, located further south.
However, Ukrainian military officials dismissed suggestions that Russian forces had breached Pokrovsk, a critical transport hub.
Ukraine’s popular Deep State blog, which documents changes in the positions held by both sides using open source materials, confirmed Petropavlivka and Vremivka falling into Russian hands.
In Kyiv, three people were killed and three others injured following a deadly nighttime attack which saw Putin’s forces launch a barrage of drones and missiles in the early morning on Saturday.
A shopping mall, business centre, metro station and water pipe were damaged in the assault, said city military administration chief Timur Tkachenko.
Three others were killed in the country’s south as Russian forces unleashed a combined drone and missile strike.
It comes as France accused Russia of “intimidation” after its air defences locked onto a French patrol plane over the Baltic Sea.
