Russia claims capture of Klishchiivka near Ukraine's Bakhmut

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday that its forces had taken control of Klishchiivka, a settlement south of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. Last week, Russian forces captured Soledar to the northeast of Bakhmut - an advance that defense analysts said could help them put pressure on the larger town, Reuters said.

Klishchiivka, which had a pre-war population of around 400 people, was captured with the help of aerial support, the ministry said. The village is around six miles (nine km) south of Bakhmut, where units of Russia's Wagner private militia have been locked for months in a battle of attrition with Ukrainian forces.

Both Wagner and a Russian proxy militia based in Ukraine's Donetsk province had already claimed to have taken Klishchiivka.

MNA/PR