After months of heavy clashes and little movement on the front lines in the industrial Donetsk region, Russian forces take control of the town where Wagner mercenaries are active.
Two days later, Russia's defence ministry announced Moscow's forces controlled the salt-mining town, which had a pre-war population of around 10,000.
Some Ukrainian troops were holding the edges of the city, he said, and others were "building a defensive line, fortifying new points, while at the same time delivering a massive blow to the enemy".Mr Cherevaty did not disclose when the pullback happened, but said it had been carefully planned.
And the grinding fight to prevent Russian forces from making even further gains is taking a toll, Mr Leonov added.
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