Moscow’s troops used the same pincer tactic on Velyka Novosilka that has enabled their recent capture of town after town in eastern Ukraine.

Russia on Friday claimed it had captured another village in its relentless offensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region and as it closes in on the critical Ukrainian logistics hub of Pokrovsk after almost three years of war.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claims that Russian troops have fought their way into the center of a strategically important eastern Ukraine town and raised the Russian flag there after a monthslong battle

Law enforcement authorities in Russia on Friday accused Ukrainian troops of killing 22 civilians in an occupied village of the Kursk region, including eight women who were allegedly raped before being executed.

The Ukraine conflict is the first major drone war in military history. Despite tactical losses on several parts along the line of contact, the Ukrainian military has continued to maintain strategic pressure on Russia by targeting and attacking major targets behind enemy lines.