MOSCOW: Russia on Monday said it had captured the village of Storozheve in eastern Ukraine, near the town of Velyka Novosilka which its troops is apparently trying to encircle.

“As a result of decisive action by troop units… the settlement of Storozhevoye has been liberated,” the defence ministry said in a statement, using the Russian name of the village.

Russia has been advancing steadily in the Donetsk region where Storozheve is located, against outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian forces.

Storozheve and Velyka Novosilka are close to the southern front line, which has remained largely static but where Ukraine says Russia is planning a fresh offensive.

Ukraine says it downed 47 Russia launched drones, 25 fail to reach targets

Russia has looking to secure as much territory as possible before US President-elect Donald Trump comes to power in January.

The Republican has promised to bring a swift end to the nearly three-year conflict, without proposing any concrete terms for a ceasefire or peace deal.

Moscow’s army claims to have seized more than 190 Ukrainian settlements this year, with Kyiv struggling to hold the line in the face of manpower and ammunition shortages.