Russia announced on Sunday that its troops had seized the strategically important town of Velyka Novosilka in eastern Ukraine, marking a significant development in its ongoing campaign to weaken Kyiv's control over the country's industrial heartland. The town, with a population of around 5,000 before the war, reportedly fell after a prolonged battle, although Ukraine stated that its forces had strategically withdrawn from certain areas.
If confirmed, the capture of Velyka Novosilka would represent the first major town to succumb to Moscow's offensive in the eastern Donetsk region in 2025. Ukrainian forces explained that their withdrawal from parts of the town was a tactical move to avoid encirclement, emphasizing that the fighting in Velyka Novosilka is ongoing.
