MOSCOW: Russia said Wednesday it had captured the village of Nove in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, as Moscow steps up its military offensive amid US mediation efforts.
"As a result of active offensive operations, units of the Western military group liberated the settlement of Novoye in the Donetsk People's Republic," Russia's Ministry of Defence wrote on Telegram, using the Russian name for the village.
The village, located close to the town of Lyman, was taken over by Russian forces at the beginning of their 2022 all-out offensive and was recaptured by Ukraine during a swift 2022 counter-offensive.
Russia has recently intensified its land advances in Ukraine and stepped up aerial bombardments, causing dozens of civilian deaths, despite US attempts to broker a ceasefire deal between the two sides.
"Despite loud statements about their readiness to cease fire for the May holidays, the occupiers have significantly increased the intensity of hostilities, focusing their main efforts in the Pokrovsk sector," Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said on Wednesday.
Putin on Monday ordered a surprise three-day ceasefire on May 8-10, which coincides with Moscow's large-scale World War II commemorations, drawing ire from Kyiv, which demanded Moscow pause hostilities immediately.
According to the latest report of the US-based Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces have kept up an offensive in the Lyman sector but so far "did not make confirmed advances".
Ukraine on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of seven villages in the neighbouring eastern region of Dnipropetrovsk, west of Donetsk, which used to be remote from the frontlines but are now under threat as Russian forces close in.
Russia said the recognition of its claims over the lands in southern and eastern Ukraine that it holds is "imperative" to resolving the conflict.
Moscow holds about 20 percent of Ukraine's territory after launching its grinding assault that has killed tens of thousands of people.
Washington has said that this week will be "critical" for peace efforts.
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