Russia announced on Monday the capture of a village in the southern part of the eastern Donetsk region. The Defense Ministry reported that its forces "continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defense and liberated the settlement of Staromaiorskoye" (known as Staromaiorske in Ukrainian), situated southwest of the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk.

Ukrainian forces took over the village near the southern Zaporizhzhia region in July of the previous year during their summer counteroffensive.

Although the counteroffensive had limited success, it did allow Ukraine to recover some territory in the South. Staromaiorske, situated on the southern front at the southwestern edge of the Donetsk region, is currently witnessing intense fighting following a successful ground assault in the Kharkiv region last month.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during an economic forum last week that Russia has captured 47 Ukrainian towns and villages since the beginning of this year.

US President Joe Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, mentioned on Sunday that Russia's progress in the Kharkiv border region has halted following the partial lifting of restrictions on using US-donated weapons to strike inside Russia.

According to Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the area, Russia has redirected its focus to two strategic towns in the Donetsk region. "The most intense fighting is occurring in Pokrovsk and Chasiv Yar. This is the direction they are particularly interested in. It's their obsession," remarked Oleksandr, a 36-year-old tank crewman.

Another soldier, Danylo Madiar, aged 33, observed that Russia has been advancing forcefully since autumn, making it exceedingly challenging to maintain the frontline with significant losses incurred.

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