Russian forces capture east Ukraine village, eliminate 650 soldiers
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According to Kiev, the hardest combat along the front line is taking place in the Donetsk area, where Russian soldiers are expelling Ukrainian forces.
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Members of the DPR representative office in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) issues related to Ukrainian war crimes work at the site of a gasoline station damaged by recent shelling in Leninsky, district of Donetsk, Donetsk People's Republic, Russia, on July 5, 2024. (Sputnik)
​​​As Moscow continues to make significant advances on the battlefield, Russia stated on Saturday that its forces had occupied a village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk area.
The Defense Ministry stated its soldiers "liberated the village of Sokil," which is about 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of Donetsk.
According to Kiev, the hardest combat along the front line is taking place in the Donetsk area, where Russian soldiers are expelling Ukrainian forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated on Friday his demand that Ukraine withdraws completely from the area, as well as three others in the country's south and east, if it wants to achieve peace.
The Russian Defense Ministry also announced Saturday that Russia's Zapad (West) and Vostok (East) soldiers have killed approximately 650 Ukrainian combatants in the Donetsk People's Republic and the Kharkov Region in the last 24 hours.
"The enemy lost up to 540 troops, an armored personnel carrier, four vehicles, a 122-mm D-30 howitzer, 105-mm weapons: a US-made M119 and a UK-made L-119, three Anklav electronic warfare stations and three field ammunition depots," according to a statement from the Ministry.
The statement also detailed how the West battlegroup successfully resisted two counterattacks by Ukraine's third assault brigade and fourth national guard brigade.
In addition, the East group of troops "repelled an assault of the 58th mechanized infantry brigade," according to the statement, which detailed that Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 115 troops.
Only days ago, the Russian forces took control of a district in the town of Chasiv Yar, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Bakhmut, a town captured by Moscow a year ago, the Russian Defense Ministry announced.
It is seen by both sides as a potential staging point for Russia to advance on the key cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Putin urges ‘complete end’ of Ukraine conflict
President Vladimir Putin of Russia stated, during a joint press conference following a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow on Friday, that Russia aims to achieve a comprehensive resolution to the Ukraine conflict, rather than merely agreeing to a ceasefire or maintaining a freeze on hostilities.
Orban's visit to Moscow aimed to explore diplomatic and peaceful solutions to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Putin emphasized that Russia opposes a ceasefire or temporary pause that Kiev could exploit to recover losses, regroup, and rearm.
He stressed Russia's preference for a total and definitive resolution to the conflict.
Putin mentioned that the conflict's resolution hinges on several conditions being fulfilled. Specifically, he underscored that Kiev must withdraw its forces from Donbass, as well as from the former Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which Russia officially integrated after public referendums.
The Russian president stated that there are additional conditions to be addressed, noting that these would require thorough discussion during potential collaborative efforts.
On his account, Orban observed that Moscow and Kiev hold divergent positions on the conflict and emphasized that considerable effort will be needed to achieve a resolution.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced last week that the US will send a fresh $2.3 billion package of military aid to Ukraine, including vital air defense and anti-tank weaponry.
In a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, Austin announced the US will "soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine."
It is worth noting that the Ukrainian military, which has been grappling with acute shortages of soldiers, has lowered the mobilization age and intensified recruitment efforts.
As the war wears on, Ukrainians grapple with difficult choices and the harsh realities of conflict. Ukraine is significantly behind its recent mobilization targets, as the initial plan aimed to mobilize up to 50,000 individuals every three months, sources told the German Welt newspaper on Monday.
