Ukraine-Russia conflict newest: Moscow ‘captures main city in east Ukraine’

Moscow has claimed to have captured a “major” town in eastern Ukraine as its forces continue to make advances in the Donetsk region.

Russia’s defence ministry said they had “liberated” the town of Artemovo, known as Zalizne in Ukraine, describing it as one of the area’s “major population centres”.

With a recorded population of 5,000 people in 2022, its capture would represent the largest single gain made by Russia in recent weeks after it claimed to capture a series of smaller settlements nearby.

Kyiv has repeatedly warned that Russian forces are making “rapid advances” towards Pokrovsk, one of Ukraine’s main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region.

Authorities in Pokrovsk on Monday ordered the mandatory evacuation of families with children in the city, where more than 53,000 people live, including nearly 4,000 children.

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