Russia claims to have taken control of 6 settlements in Ukraine over past week

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Friday that its forces had taken control of six settlements in Ukraine over the past week.

The settlements of Torske, Vilne Pole, Kotlyarivka, Myrolyubivka, Mykhailivka, and Novooleksandrivka in the Donetsk region were captured in operations carried out by the Tsentr (Center), Vostok (East), and Zapad (West) groups of forces, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also reported conducting six coordinated strikes over the week, using precision weapons and drones, which targeted Ukraine’s military industry, including facilities producing components for Neptun anti-ship missiles and unmanned boats.

Additionally, infrastructure at military airfields, workshops for assembling and repairing weapons and military equipment, and storage facilities were struck, the statement said.

The targets also included sites involved in the preparation and deployment of drones and unmanned boats, ammunition depots, and temporary locations housing Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries, it added.

The ministry also stated that Russian air defense systems shot down 35 US-made JDAM-guided aerial bombs, five HIMARS rockets, and 930 drones over the week.

Ukraine has yet to comment on Russia’s claims, and independent verification remains challenging due to the ongoing conflict.