Russia takes village in eastern Ukraine as it steps up offensive
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 re-captured 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.
Ukraine ready for talks in any format if Russia agrees to 'real ceasefire', minister says
'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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
11 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
European shares tumble as trade, geopolitical tensions mount
European shares dropped on Thursday, in their fourth straight session of declines, as trade optimism stemming from U.S.-China trade talks faded, while mounting geopolitical tensions led to the markets being more cautious. The pan-European STOXX 600 was down 0.4% at 549.41 points at 0707 GMT, while most regional bourses were also in the red. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was willing to extend the deadline for trade talks but it was not likely necessary as the U.S. will send offer letters to countries in a week or so. However, markets were a little concerned about the European Union being able to clinch a deal before Trump's July 8 deadline - when the tariff pause expires. Geopolitical worries added more caution to markets already navigating U.S. tariff-driven uncertainty after trade talks with China did not offer a solution to de-escalate longstanding tensions. European shares slip as markets unfazed by US-China deal U.S. personnel were being moved out of the Middle East because 'it could be a dangerous place' amid rising tensions with Iran, Trump said on Wednesday. In the market, travel and leisure stocks were the worst hit, down 1.7%, while industrial miners fell 1.1%. Among stocks, BE Semiconductor Industries (BESI) jumped 7.7% after raising its long-term financial targets ahead of its investor day. Tesco gained 1.3% after Britain's biggest food retailer's domestic sales growth accelerated in its first quarter.
Business Recorder
12 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
Major Gulf markets retreat on geopolitics
Major stock markets in the Gulf fell in early trade on Thursday amid uncertainty following the U.S. decision to relocate personnel from the Middle East ahead of nuclear talks with Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday U.S. personnel were being moved out of the Middle East because 'it could be a dangerous place,' adding that the United States would not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the U.S. is preparing a partial evacuation of its Iraqi embassy and will allow military dependents to leave locations around the Middle East due to heightened security risks in the region, according to U.S. and Iraqi sources. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index dropped 1.3% as almost all its constituents were in negative territory including Al Rajhi Bank, which was down 0.6%. Among other losers, oil giant Saudi Aramco was down 0.4%. The decision by the U.S. to evacuate some personnel comes at a volatile moment in the region. Trump's efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran appear to be deadlocked and U.S. intelligence indicates that Israel has been making preparations for a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Gulf bourses end mixed on US-China trade-talks Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Wednesday that if Iran was subjected to strikes it would retaliate by hitting U.S. bases in the region. Dubai's main share index retreated 1.7%, its biggest intraday fall since April, dragged down by losses across sectors and led by a 3% slide in blue-chip developer Emaar Properties. In Abu Dhabi, the index fell 1%, hit by a 2% fall in ADNOC Gas. The Qatari index traded 0.8% lower, with petrochemical maker Industries Qatar losing 1%.
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
German defence minister in Kyiv on visit
BERLIN: German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on Thursday, a spokesman in his ministry told AFP, a visit that comes as Russia escalates its bombardments of Ukraine. The spokesman did not provide details on the visit, which started a day after Russian strikes on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv killed three people and wounded 60 others. This was Pistorius's first trip to Ukraine since German Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office. Pistorius last visited Ukraine in January. On Tuesday, Merz slammed Russian 'terror against the civilian population' in Ukraine after Moscow escalated its bombardments. Germany to boost military by up to 60,000 troops under new NATO targets He said Russia's latest actions were 'anything but a proportionate response to the very precise Ukrainian attacks on military airfields and infrastructure in the last week'. Merz's comments come ahead of a G7 summit in Canada on June 15-17 and a NATO meeting later in the month, where allies will push US President Donald Trump to be more aggressive in punishing the Kremlin.
