Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Friday that its forces had taken control of Sobolevka, a village in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. The claim could not be independently verified from the information provided.

The reported advance adds to months of grinding combat in eastern Ukraine, where Russian and Ukrainian forces have been locked in heavy fighting along shifting front lines. Donetsk has remained one of the war’s most contested areas since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Reuters reported the Russian statement without independently confirming battlefield control. As with other announcements from either side in the war, claims about territorial gains can be difficult to verify quickly because of battlefield conditions and limited access for journalists.

The fighting continues to place civilians at risk across eastern Ukraine, where repeated attacks have damaged homes, infrastructure, and local livelihoods. The human cost of the war remains high even as both sides continue to issue competing claims about developments on the ground.