Russia on Sunday claimed its troops had captured a strategically important town in eastern Ukraine, as part of a grinding campaign to weaken Kyiv’s grip on the country’s industrial heartland.

Continuing their relentless advance on the Ukrainian front lines, Russian forces have captured the town of Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region. Moscow's Defense Ministry stated that Russian troops had "liberated" the settlement,

Russia’s Defense Ministry claims that Russian troops have fought their way into the center of a strategically important eastern Ukraine town and raised the Russian flag there after a monthslong battle.