Vladimir Putin's forces have seized another settlement in the Donetsk oblast, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) citing Russian sources, with a map showing the latest state of play.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday elements of its Central Grouping of Forces had captured Orlivka, which is six miles northwest of Avdiivka, the fiercely fought-over town Ukraine retreated from last month.
This has not been independently confirmed by the ISW, but pro-Kremlin military bloggers have amplified Moscow's claim. Among them was the Rybar Telegram channel, which said that Russian troops had started to clear out Orlivka but were casing challenges in consolidating their control over it due to Ukrainian counterattacks.
With Orlivka's capture, Russian forces can "not only strike, but also advance south of Seminivka," the post said, adding that this village—along with nearby Berdychi, where there is heavy fighting—could also soon be captured.
However, the Rybar channel said that any further Russian advance west "is not very rational" because Ukrainian forces are building a line of defenses there using landscape obstacles such as rivers.
The ISW's latest map illustrates the Russian claims about the reported latest capture, also marking other gains by Moscow's forces, who have momentum in the region.
The graphic also shows other Russian advances in recent days, including the capture of Nevekske further south on March 16, and its push in Tonenke on March 15 and near the Pervomaiske dam on Tuesday. Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian defense ministry for comment.
The news comes as the governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said that the border region had come under attack just after midday on Wednesday, with the death of at least one person. Days earlier, anti-Russian anti-Kremlin militias reportedly broke into the region and clashed with Russian government forces.
Also on Wednesday, Russia launched an attack against the northeastern city of Kharkiv, killing at least one person and injuring at least five people, the city's mayor Ihor Terekhov reported. According to preliminary information, Russia carried out the attack using a Kh-59 cruise missile.
Meanwhile, with Ukraine facing critical shortages of weapons amid a hold-up in U.S. Congress for another package, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin has warned that failure to give further support to Kyiv could cause "the worst atrocity in history."
"We can't let Ukraine go through this," Manchin said onstage during Axios' annual What's Next Summit, "if it comes through the spring and we haven't helped Ukraine, God help us."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more
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