Russia claims to have taken control of a village north of the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut

Russia has asserted control over a village north of Bakhmut, a town in eastern Ukraine where both countries’ soldiers are presently engaged in a fierce struggle.

The salt-mining town of Soledar, which was just taken over by Russian soldiers, is close by Blagodatne Village.

Using Moscow’s terminology for the eastern Donetsk region, the Russian defence ministry declared on Tuesday that its forces had ‘liberated the village of Blagodatne of the Donetsk People’s Republic’ as a consequence of ‘successful offensive measures,’ according to AFP news agency.

The Russian mercenary Wagner Group claimed to have taken possession of Blahodatne on Saturday, but Kyiv claimed to have resisted the invasion.

Bakhmut has emerged as the latest flashpoint of the Russia-Ukraine battle as Moscow looks to gain control of the prized Donbas region.

Since the invasion, Russia has been eyeing control of the Donbas region, where the separatists backed by Moscow have been fighting the Ukrainian government since 2014.

Russia has already taken control of most of Luhansk, while about half of Donetsk remains under Ukraine’s control.