Russian forces operating in Ukraine have seized 10 new localities within just one week, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement issued on Friday.
According to the ministry, the newly captured settlements are located in the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Russian troops reportedly took control of these areas between October 17 and 24, while also destroying 22 depots containing Ukrainian weapons and military equipment.
The ministry further claimed that Ukrainian forces attempted several airstrikes during the week, but Russian air defenses intercepted all of them. Between October 17 and 24, Ukraine allegedly lost one Su-27 fighter jet, four cruise missiles, 18 guided aerial bombs, 15 HIMARS rockets and 1,441 drones, according to the Russian statement.
Ukraine has not yet commented on the claims.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, following years of tensions over Kyiv’s bid to join NATO and its refusal to recognize Crimea as Russian territory.
Over the past three years, Moscow has gained control of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions — together making up around 10% of Ukraine’s internationally recognized land. Kyiv continues to push for the liberation of its occupied territories, with no indication that the conflict will end soon.
