Russia claims capture of southeastern Ukraine village

Russia on Monday claimed the capture of a village in the south of the eastern Donetsk region.

The defence ministry said its troops "continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defence and liberated the settlement of Staromaiorskoye" (Staromaiorske in Ukrainian), located southwest of the Russian-held city of Donetsk.

Ukrainian troops retook the village, close to the southern Zaporizhzhia region, in July last year during its summer counter-offensive, which had limited success but enabled it to retake some territory in the south.

Staromaiorske is located on the southern front on the southwestern edge of the Donetsk region, where there is now fierce fighting following a successful ground assault in the Kharkiv region last month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told an economic forum last week that Russia has taken 47 Ukrainian towns and villages so far this year.

US President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Sunday that Russia's advance on the Kharkiv border region has "stalled out" after Washington partially lifted restrictions on using US-donated weapons to strike inside Russia.

Russia has shifted its focus to two strategic towns in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian soldiers fighting there told AFP at the weekend.

"The fiercest fighting is taking place in this area: Pokrovsk and Chasiv Yar. This is the direction they really want. This is their idee fixe," said Oleksandr, a 36-year-old tank сrewman.

Another soldier, Danylo Madiar, 33, said Russia has been advancing "very strongly" since autumn and "it became very difficult to hold this front line" with many losses.