Kyiv: Ukraine claimed on Thursday that it had recently retaken control of about 16 square kilometers (6.1 square miles) in its eastern Donetsk region, according to Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Syrskyi reported that Ukrainian forces made this progress in recent weeks around the settlements of Udachne, Kotlyne, and Shevchenko.

According to Anadolu Agency, Syrskyi detailed that Russian forces had captured the village of Shevchenko on January 11, which is located nearly 8 kilometers (5 miles) south of the city of Pokrovsk, a key front in Moscow's offensive in eastern Ukraine. In response to the ongoing conflict, Syrskyi stated on Facebook, "In the Pokrovsky direction, our Defense Forces are stopping around 30 enemy assault operations every day and inflicting significant losses on the Russian occupiers."

Syrskyi also revealed that he had recently visited nearly all brigades in the area, collaborating directly with commanders on battlefield logistics and ammunition supply. "I gave the necessary orders to resolve problematic issues and meet existing needs," he noted. He emphasized that the enemy has not altered its plans to push Ukrainian units beyond the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, aiming to reach administrative borders, but assured that "this plan remains unrealized."

As of now, Russian authorities have not commented on Ukraine's recent claims. Independent verification of these claims remains challenging due to the ongoing war, which has now entered its fourth year.