Russian army captures further towns in the Donetsk region
The Russian army has taken control of two more settlements in the Donezk region in eastern Ukraine, according to its own statements. On Sunday, the village of Tschigari came under Russian control, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced. On Saturday, Russian forces had already taken control of the village of Sokil, located about 30 kilometers northwest of the city of Donezk, according to Moscow's statements. A Ukrainian drone attack set a munitions depot in the Russian border region Voronezh on fire.
The region Donezk, along with Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, is one of the Ukrainian regions that Moscow declared annexed in September 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his demand during a visit by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Moscow on Friday that Ukraine must withdraw from the three regions declared annexed if it wants peace. According to Kiev, the fiercest fighting along the entire front line is currently taking place in the region of Donezk. Russian forces have made progress on the battlefield this year, while Ukraine is suffering from a lack of weapons and ammunition.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire in a munitions depot in the Russian border region of Voronezh in the night from Saturday to Sunday. "In the night, air defense systems over the Voronezh region detected and destroyed several drones," Governor Alexander Gusev reported in the Telegram messaging app. Falling debris reportedly ignited a fire in a depot in the Podgorenski district, causing detonations of explosives.
There were no injured reported initially, Gusev said. Emergency services were on site and the evacuation of some residents was initiated. From Ukrainian defense circles it was reported that the depot in Russian Voronezh was hit by several drones. There, rockets, tank shells, artillery, and ammunition were stored. The attack caused a "strong" explosion.
Russia and Ukraine have been using drones regularly in their mutual attacks since the beginning of the Russian offensive in February 2022. Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russian territory in recent months and targets, among other things, energy infrastructure. The army is doing this, according to its own statements, to cut off the supply of the Russian army and settlements near the border.
The Donezk region, where the Ukrainian-Russian conflict is most intense, is one of the regions under dispute between Ukraine and Russia. Localities within this region, such as Sokil and Tschigari, have seen shifts in control between the Ukrainian and Russian armies during the Ukraine war. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine's withdrawal from this region, among others, for peace to prevail.
