Russia says its forces seized Ukrainian village near Avdiivka

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that its forces had made further progress in eastern Ukraine by taking the village of Severne, near Avdiivka, a Ukrainian town it captured earlier this month.

In a statement, the ministry said its forces captured Severne, “occupied more advantageous lines and positions” and attacked concentrations of Ukrainian manpower and equipment near three other settlements.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the battlefield claims.

The capture of Avdiivka, after months of fighting, was Russia's most significant gain since it took the ruined city of Bakhmut last May.

The Defense Ministry said Russian forces also destroyed a US-supplied Abrams tank.

Russian-installed officials in Ukraine reported that incident a day earlier, saying it was the first attack of its kind since Washington began sending the Abrams to Ukraine last September.

After major successes in cracking down on the Russian army in 2022, Ukraine has suffered recent setbacks on the eastern battlefields, with its generals complaining of shortages of weapons and ammunition.

Russia controls just under a fifth of Ukraine's internationally recognized territory.

On Monday, the Ukrainian military confirmed its withdrawal from the village of Lastochkyne, near Avdiivka, saying the move would help halt the advance of Russian forces westward.

Source: CNN Brasil

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