ISTANBUL 

Russia on Monday said that it captured another settlement in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

A statement from the Russian Defense Ministry said that its forces took control of the village of Vovche, situated about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) east of the city of Pokrovsk, a key front in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Vovche is also located about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) southwest of the village of Prohres, which Russia also said to have captured in a statement a day earlier.

The statement also said that Russian forces in the area improved their "tactical position."

In an earlier statement on Monday, Ukraine’s General Staff said it repelled 52 Russian attacks in the direction of Pokrovsk over the past 24 hours, describing the situation in the area as the “hottest.”

However, Ukrainian authorities have since not commented on Russia’s claims regarding Vovche, and independent verification of Moscow's claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.