Russia said on Friday it had captured three villages in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions, including areas Kyiv had retaken three years ago in a surprise counteroffensive.
The Moscow military command said it had captured the villages of Pishchane and Tykhe in Kharkiv and Pryvillia in Dnipropetrovsk.
The Russian army is grinding through eastern Ukraine in costly meter-for-meter battles for small settlements, largely devastated by fighting since February 2022 and with a few inhabitants left.
Ukraine had recaptured large parts of the Kharkiv region, including Pishchane, in a swift campaign in autumn 2022, triggering a Russian military draft for the first time since World War II.
But Russian forces are slowly advancing again, trying to encircle the key logistics hub of Kupiansk, Ukraine's major gain in the 2022 counteroffensive.
The Russian offensive has killed tens of thousands and devastated large swathes of eastern Ukraine, forcing millions to flee their homes.
On Friday, "two adults and a 10-year-old child were killed during intense shelling of a residential area" by Kyiv in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's Kherson region, the Moscow-installed governor said.
Kyiv meanwhile said that "one person was killed and 14 were wounded in Russian shelling" in the Ukrainian-held part of the region.
Russia pounded Ukraine with 70 drones overnight, hours after President Vladimir Putin spoke to U.S. counterpart Donald Trump by phone during which they agreed to hold a new summit.
The Moscow army said it had intercepted 61 Ukrainian drones overnight, mostly in Russia's western regions and the annexed Crimea peninsula.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
