Russia claims control of Ukrainian village amid ongoing conflict

Russia's defence ministry has announced that its troops have taken control of the village of Novoielyzavetivka, located in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, near the logistics centre of Pokrovsk. This marks the latest target in Russia's steady westward advance.

The General Staff of Ukraine's military did not mention Novoielyzavetivka in its late Wednesday report, but noted "intensive" Russian activity in the Pokrovsk sector. Ukrainian forces have managed to repel 39 attacks and reported nine ongoing clashes with Moscow's forces.

The popular Ukrainian military blog DeepState, which tracks military positioning using open-source materials, has indicated that Novoielyzavetivka is currently under Russian occupation.

According to reports, Pokrovsk is the only colliery in Ukraine producing coking coal for the steel industry, and operations have been shut down as Russian troops approach the city. It's perceived as a significant target for Moscow.

Russian forces have concentrated their efforts on gaining control of the Donbas region, which includes both Donetsk and Luhansk, particularly after initial setbacks in their advance towards the capital, Kyiv, during the early weeks of the February 2022 invasion.

Recent months have seen Russia's progress accelerate, representing the fastest movement since the start of the invasion.

Earlier this week, Russia's military reported capturing the village of Dvorichna, located near the city of Kupiansk in northeastern Kharkiv, which has also seen increased Russian activity. However, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov has denied this claim, stating that fighting is still ongoing.

Moscow has announced the capture of Velyka Novosilka, a town situated south of Pokrovsk, last weekend. Ukraine's military has not yet confirmed that the town is fully under Russian control.

In another development, Ukrainian investigators have opened a criminal case against Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, which is likely to exacerbate a standoff within his ministry concerning arms procurement and may potentially strain Kyiv's relationships with Western allies.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has stated that the investigation, initiated by a corruption watchdog, aims to determine if there has been any abuse of authority by Umerov. However, specific details of the case remain sparse.

The Anti-Corruption Action Centre has accused Umerov of acting illegally by sidelining the head of the Defence Procurement Agency, whose contract he has refused to renew after voicing criticisms about the agency's performance.