Russia says it has captured villages in strategic areas of the east of the country

These captures concern in particular localities close to the town of Pokrosvk, which Moscow has been seeking to conquer for several months.

Russia claimed on Sunday December 15 to have conquered villages in two strategic sectors of the front in eastern Ukraine, approaching in particular Pokrovsk, a crucial city for the logistics of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk region. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Moscow's forces have “released” the village of Vesely Gai, south of the industrial town of Kourakhové, and that of Pushkin, south of Pokrovsk.

In recent months, Russian forces have been advancing a little more every day towards this key locality in Donbass, causing an exodus of residents. This town of 60,000 inhabitants originally had only 11,000 inhabitants at the beginning of December. “We will stay until the end, we will not abandon our city. Ukrainians are strong, and they must stay in their city.” however assured a resident.

If the Russian army is progressing in the Donbass, its progress is less clear in the Russian region of Kursk, partly invaded in August by Ukraine. To repel this incursion, Moscow has notably called on around ten thousand North Korean soldiers, who are increasingly taking part in “assaults”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on Saturday.