Russia said on Thursday, July 17th, it had captured Ukrainian villages in three separate areas of the front line, expanding its summer offensive despite U.S. calls to end the fighting.
In a statement, the Russian defence ministry said its forces had “liberated” the settlements of Popiv Yar in the eastern Donetsk region, Degtiarne in the northeast Kharkiv region, and Kamianske in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
The Russian military accelerated its advances for a third consecutive month in June.
Its territorial gains for that month were the biggest since November last year, according to an AFP analysis of data from the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
U.S. President Donald Trump has given Moscow 50 days from Monday to reach a peace deal or face bruising sanctions, but Ukraine says the Kremlin has no interest in ending the fighting and will press on regardless.
