Russian Troops Seize Novodmytrivka Donetsk Settlement

JAKARTA - Russia's Ministry of Defense said on Friday its troops seized the Novodmytrivka settlement in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine.

This movement is the latest achievement that Defense Minister Andrei Belousov calls accelerated progress.

The Ukrainian military did not mention the village, which is located north of the main city of Kurakhove.

The General Staff noted the village was among eight villages where Russian troops engaged in fighting and tried to advance.

Reuters was unable to independently verify warfield reports from both sides.

Russian Defense Minister Belousov visited a command post in Ukraine manned by Russian soldiers who grouped "North", where he distributed medals for courage.

"The work we are doing here has now destroyed the best (Ukraine) units. Now progress is getting faster. We have thwarted their entire campaign in 2025," he said.

Ukraine's General Staff said the Kurakhove sector at the forefront of 1,000 km (600 miles) was hit by fierce fighting. Ten of the 35 armed clashes in the sector are still ongoing.

Russian troops control less than 20 percent of Ukraine and have advanced through the Donetsk region over the past two months with the fastest rate since March 2022.

They approached the Kurakhove and the city of Pokrovsk in the north, the location of the only mining plant that supplies kokas coal to the Ukrainian steel industry.

Russian troops have made further progress to the north near Kupiansk, the center of the train and logistics center, in the Kharkiv region.