ISTANBUL: Russia announced on Monday that its forces have captured the village of Skuchne in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, as part of its ongoing offensive towards the city of Pokrovsk. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Skuchne, located about 26 kilometers (16 miles) southeast of Pokrovsk, is now under Russian control, marking a continuation of Russia's efforts to advance on multiple fronts in the region. In recent months, Russia has regularly reported taking control of additional settlements as it pushes toward Pokrovsk. On Sunday, the Defense Ministry claimed its forces had also seized the rural settlement of Ptyche, situated approximately 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) west of Skuchne. Additionally, Russia claimed control of Vyimka, located about 26 kilometers (16.1 miles) northeast of Bakhmut, an important logistics hub in Donetsk. Ukrainian authorities have yet to comment on these claims. Due to the ongoing conflict, independent verification of Russia's reports remains challenging. Source: A nadolu Agency