ISTANBUL

Russia claimed on Monday that it took control of a village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, as fierce clashes between Moscow and Kyiv continue along the front line.

A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces captured the village of Lysychne, located about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) east of the city of Pokrovsk, a key front in the Russia-Ukraine conflict that has been raging for more than two years.

The statement further claimed that Russian troops continue to hold the initiative in the region by "successfully breaking through" Ukraine's defenses.

It also claimed that Russian forces established control over city blocks in the city of Krasnohorivka, located about 22 kilometers (13,6 miles) west of the city of Donetsk, which Moscow captured back in 2014.

The statement went on to say that its forces are also pushing back Ukrainian troops in six settlements in the region, namely Ivanivka, Makiivka, Pivnichne, Serhiivka, Zalizne, and Zhelanne.

Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on Russia's claims, and independent verification of the claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.