MOSCOW, March 26 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its forces had taken control of a new village in its slow advance through eastern Ukraine, Sheviakivka in Ukraine's
Russia and Ukraine Both Report Capturing Frontline Villages Amid Ongoing Conflict
Latest Developments in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Russian Advances in Eastern Ukraine
MOSCOW, March 26 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its forces had taken control of a new village in its slow advance through eastern Ukraine, Sheviakivka in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region.
Ukraine's military made no acknowledgement that the village on the Russian border had changed hands.
Ukrainian Counteroffensive Actions
Recapture of Berezove by Ukrainian Forces
A Ukrainian paratroop unit said it had retaken a village to the south in Dnipropetrovsk region that had earlier fallen under Russian control.
Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield reports.
Strategic Focus on the "Fortress Belt"
Ukraine will aim to repel a widely anticipated new Russian springtime offensive along the front line amid a breakdown in U.S.-backed peace talks by building on recent tactical successes. The campaign focuses on the "Fortress Belt" of heavily defended cities in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
Diplomatic and Strategic Context
Security Guarantees and Territorial Negotiations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday that the U.S. was making its offer of security guarantees for a peace deal conditional on Kyiv ceding to Russia all of Donbas, made up of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Russian Military Objectives
The Russian Defence Ministry report gave few details on the capture of Sheviakivka, but senior Russian military officials have said Moscow intends to build up buffer zones in both Kharkiv and Sumy regions on its border.
Statements from Military Officials
Ukrainian Paratroop Assault Forces
Role of the 95th Separate Assault Brigade
Ukraine's Command of Paratroop Assault Forces, writing on Facebook, said the 95th Separate Assault Brigade had taken control of the village of Berezove, just inside Dnipropetrovsk region.
"Step by step paratroops are pushing Russian forces out of Ukrainian lands," the statement said.
Recent Advances Along the Front Line
Zelenskiy and other officials have said Ukrainian forces have made advances in southern areas of the 1,250-km (775-mile) front line in recent weeks.
Reporting and Editorial Notes
(Reporting by Ksenia Orlova, writing by Anna Peverieri; editing by Ron Popeski and Himani Sarkar)
