Ankara: Russia on Saturday claimed that it took control of another settlement in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

According to Anadolu Agency, a Defense Ministry statement revealed that Russian forces captured the village of Brusivka, situated about 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) northeast of the city of Sloviansk. Sloviansk remains one of Ukraine’s last strongholds in the eastern region, alongside Kramatorsk, which became the region’s administrative center after Moscow seized the city of Donetsk in 2014.

Ukraine’s General Staff stated that Russian forces conducted nine assaults near five settlements in the Lyman front, including the town of Lyman, which is about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) north of Brusivka. However, Ukrainian authorities have yet to comment on Russia’s latest claim. Independent verification of Russia’s claim remains challenging due to the ongoing war, which entered its fifth year last month.