ISTANBUL

Russia claimed on Wednesday that it took control of a settlement in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region.

A statement by the Defense Ministry said its forces captured the village of Kruhlyakivka, about 21 kilometers (13 miles) south of the city of Kupiansk, a major front in Moscow's offensive in Kharkiv.

Both the village and Kupiansk, the latter of which serves as an important railroad junction in the region, are situated on the Oskil River, a tributary of the Donets River flowing into the Don River, the fourth-largest in Europe.

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