Russia claims capture of village in Ukraine’s Donetsk

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia claimed on Sunday that it has taken control of the Bahatyr settlement as it continues its offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

In a statement, the Defense Ministry said its troops had taken control of the village of Bahatyr, located about 19 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of the strategic town of Velyka Novosilka.

Russia previously claimed to have seized Velyka Novosilka on Jan. 27. The town lies roughly 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from the junction of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Bahatyr is situated approximately 31 kilometers (19.2 miles) northeast of that junction point.

Ukraine’s General Staff, in a statement posted Sunday morning on Telegram, said Russian forces had attacked Ukrainian positions near seven settlements on the Novopavlivka front—including Bahatyr—23 times in the past day.

Ukrainian authorities have not yet publicly responded to Russia’s latest claim, and independent verification remains difficult due to the ongoing conflict.