Russia on Monday said it had captured another village on the road to the key garrison city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s east.
“Units of the Tsenter grouping of troops liberated the settlement of Memryk,” Russia’s defence ministry said.
Memryk, which had a pre-war population of 400, sits on a main road to Pokrovsk, about 12 miles to the east.
The day before, Russian forces were said to have captured Novohrodivka, some seven miles from what has emerged as Moscow’s key target.
It was reported that Kyiv’s forces had abandoned positions that had become impossible to defend.
Ukrainian war blog DeepState said Russian forces had captured the village of Nevelske, to the southeast.
Pokrovsk is considered a key logistics hub for Ukraine’s defence of the eastern Donetsk region.
Moscow currently controls about 80 per cent of the region.
Its capture by Moscow would also open up a new route into Dnipro, one of Ukraine’s largest cities.
Ukrainian authorities have introduced a curfew and halted rail connections in the city as Russian forces continue to advance towards the strategically important city.
An estimated 26,000 people live in the city, about half of its pre-war population.
Ukraine had hoped its surprise incursion into Russia’s southern Kursk region would have stalled Moscow’s advances by drawing troops and resources away.
However, Western analysts have noted an increased tempo in the Russian operation nearing Pokrovsk.
It has proved costly, however, with Russia losing 18 troops for every two lost by Ukraine in Donetsk, the Economist reported.
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