Russia announces its close control of a Ukrainian town of strategic importance

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces made their way into the center of a strategically important town in eastern Ukraine, and that they raised the Russian flag there after a months-long battle.
According to the ministry, Russian soldiers are still fighting the remaining Ukrainian defenders in Velika Novoselka, which had a population of about five thousand people before the war.

Developments in the Russia-Ukraine war

Ukrainian officials made no immediate comment on this, although they recently reported that Russia had increased its troop numbers in the region.
Over the past year, Russian forces have launched an intense campaign to punch holes in Ukraine’s defenses in the Donetsk region and weaken Kiev’s grip on the eastern parts of the country.

The sustained and costly offensive forced Kyiv to abandon a series of towns, villages and hamlets.

Peace agreement in Ukraine

US President Donald Trump pledged to quickly broker a peace agreement in Ukraine.
Moscow and Kiev are seeking to achieve successes on the battlefield, to strengthen their negotiating positions before any potential talks.