Russia on Friday claimed it had captured another village in its relentless offensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region and as it closes in on the critical Ukrainian logistics hub of Pokrovsk after almost three years of war.
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Civilians participate in trench warfare training during a “Test Week” organized by the 3rd Assault Brigade in Kyiv, on January 30, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photo- AFP
Moscow accused Ukrainian troops on Friday of killing 22 people when they occupied a Russian village, including eight women who were allegedly raped before being executed.
Ukraine has controlled dozens of border settlements in the Kursk region of western Russia since launching a surprise offensive in August, and says about 2,000 civilians still live in areas it occupies.
Russia has now retaken several towns and villages.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said on January 19 it was investigating the killing of “at least seven civilians” in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
The village has been retaken by Moscow.
The committee said on Friday it had expanded the probe and was now investigating the killing of “22 residents” between September and November.
Among the victims, whose bodies were found in the basements of several homes, were eight women who were allegedly raped before being killed, the Investigative Committee said.
Russia claims capture of Novovasylivka, moving closer to Pokrovsk in Donetsk
On Friday, Russia asserted that its forces had captured another village in their ongoing offensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, advancing closer to the key Ukrainian logistics hub of Pokrovsk after nearly three years of conflict.
The Russian claim of taking Novovasylivka could not be independently verified, and Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond.
However, battlefield maps published early Friday by the Ukrainian General Staff suggested the village was at least partly under Russian control. A comparison with other maps of the area by The Associated Press indicated Novovasylivka