Russia Captures Ukrainsk in Eastern Ukraine, According to State Media and War Bloggers – Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian forces have claimed control of the Ukrainian town of Ukrainsk in the eastern Donetsk region, as part of their westward offensive to secure the entire Donbas area, according to reports from a state-backed news agency and pro-Russian military bloggers.

Russian troops reportedly raised their flag on a mine ventilation shaft at the town’s outskirts, which had a population exceeding 10,000 before the conflict escalated. A pro-Russian military blogger noted that Russian forces captured Ukrainsk "almost intact," enabling them to use it as a base for future operations.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s military did not confirm the loss of Ukrainsk in their latest report, instead referring to it as one of several locations under Russian attack, and mentioned that 34 assaults were recorded near the town of Pokrovsk.

Due to reporting restrictions in the war zone, verification of claims from both sides has been challenging.

Earlier in the month, Russian forces had encircled Ukrainsk as they moved west toward Pokrovsk. This advance aligns with President Vladimir Putin’s stated objective of taking full control of the Donbas region, which is approximately half the size of the U.S. state of Ohio.

The same military blogger indicated that the next targets for Russian forces could be the towns of Hirnyk, to the south, and Selydove, to the north.

Since the onset of the conflict in February 2022, the war has primarily revolved around prolonged artillery and drone strikes across a heavily fortified 1,000 km front line, involving hundreds of thousands of troops.

In August, Russia reportedly advanced at its fastest pace in two years, although Ukraine also made gains in Russia’s Kursk region with an unexpected incursion.

Currently, Russian forces control about one-fifth of Ukraine, holding 98.5% of Luhansk and 60% of Donetsk, according to available reports.

These two regions together constitute the Donbas, which has been central to the conflict. Following the ousting of a pro-Russian president during Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan Revolution, Russia annexed Crimea, and pro-Russian unrest emerged in various parts of the Donbas, leading to Moscow’s support for separatist groups.

On Tuesday, Russia announced it had repelled five new attempts by Ukrainian forces to breach its border into the Kursk region, which brought the total number of reported border attacks to 26 over the past six days.

Recent reports estimate that the total number of casualties, including those killed or wounded, may have reached approximately one million for both Ukrainians and Russians.