MOSCOW: Russia said Monday its forces had captured the village of Vovche in eastern Ukraine, the latest in a string of frontline advances Moscow has claimed in recent weeks.

Vovche lies about 16 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of Avdiivka, a city that Russia captured in February and from which its troops have been pushing forward since.

Moscow’s defence ministry said in a daily briefing that its army units had “liberated the village of Vovche” in the eastern Donetsk region and had “improved their tactical position.”

The announcement comes a day after Russia said its troops had taken control of Progres and Yevgenivka, villages just a few kilometres away from Vovche.

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy visits frontline area in Kharkiv region

Ukrainian authorities urged all remaining residents to evacuate from Vovche in June amid Russian air strikes. Only seven people were left in the village, out of a pre-conflict population of around 100.

Moscow claims to have taken a string of villages and settlements, many consisting of no more than a few streets and a handful of abandoned buildings, in recent weeks.

Neither side has been able to achieve a decisive breakthrough and both Moscow and Kyiv say they are inflicting heavy casualties on the other, almost two and a half years after Russia launched its offensive.