KYIV/MOSCOW— Russia announced on Sunday that its forces have seized Piddubne in Donetsk and Sobolivka in Kharkiv, marking continued territorial advances in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian Defence Ministry, via Telegram, said its troops had “liberated” the two villages—Piddubne, located roughly 7 km from the Dnipropetrovsk border, and Sobolivka, about 3 km west of Kupiansk. Ukraine has not yet commented on these claims.
These reported gains come amid a slow but steady Russian push along the front, with an acceleration in operations over the past three months. Analysts note that June saw Moscow’s most significant monthly gains since November.
Piddubne, previously home to around 500 residents, lies in a strategic Donetsk–Dnipropetrovsk border zone. Sobolivka, meanwhile, sits outside Russia’s previously claimed areas and is near the contested town of Kupiansk .
Forecasts from Western think tanks suggest that while Russia’s advances are incremental, they reflect a focused campaign aimed at extending control over eastern Ukrainian territory.
