Defense News ,Russia :- Russia's defense ministry announced on Thursday that its forces had seized control of a small village in eastern Ukraine, marking a development in the ongoing conflict that has persisted for two years. The announcement comes as both sides continue to face challenges in achieving substantial gains on the battlefield.
The statement from Russia's defense ministry stated, "In the Donetsk direction, as a result of successful actions of Southern Group troop units, the settlement of Vesele in the Donetsk People’s Republic was liberated."
It's important to note that AFP (Agence France-Presse) was unable to independently verify these claims.
Vesele, the captured village, is situated approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Bakhmut, an industrial city that suffered extensive damage during months of artillery shelling and urban combat earlier in the conflict. The village, with a pre-conflict population of around 100, has now become a focal point in the ongoing struggle for control.
Moscow had previously asserted its annexation of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, referred to as the "Donetsk People’s Republic," in 2022, despite not having complete authority over the territory. This move led to a mass exodus of millions of Ukrainians from the eastern and southern regions of the country following Russia's full-scale military offensive in February 2022.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has reached a stalemate, with neither side making significant territorial gains for over a year. The capture of Vesele is seen as a noteworthy development in the ongoing struggle, further emphasizing the challenges faced by both parties in the quest for dominance on the battlefield.
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