MOSCOW, June 29 — Russia on Saturday claimed another village in eastern Ukraine as it pushes towards the city of Toretsk in a fresh local offensive in the embattled Donetsk region.

Toretsk lies north-west of the city of Gorlivka, which has been under separatist control since 2014.

The city has been largely spared from the worst of the fighting but that has changed in recent weeks after Moscow’s forces began advancing, taking Ukrainian forces by surprise.

Moscow’s defence ministry said Russian forces had "as a result of successful acts, liberated the settlement of Shumy” and gained a better "tactical position.”

Shumy lies less than 10 kilometres east of Toretsk, a mining town which had a pre-war population of around 32,000.

Ukrainian forces have been particularly vulnerable since the end of 2023 because of major delays in European and US arms deliveries. — AFP