Russia claims its second win in two days in Ukraine’s Donetsk region

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia said on Monday its forces had taken control of the village of Novomykhailivka, 40 km southwest of the Ukrainian city of Donetsk, the second advance the country has announced in two days.

Reuters could not independently verify the Russian gain reported by the Defense Ministry. The Ukrainian General Staff said in its regular morning report that Kiev’s armed forces continued to hold back Russian attempts to advance on the village.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that southern forces had fully captured Novomykhailivka “and improved the tactical situation along the front line.”

On Sunday, Russia said it had taken control of the Bohdanivka settlement further north. Bohdanivka is located northeast of Khasiv Yar, a strategic city on high ground that, if captured, could open the way for Russia to advance toward several “fortress towns” in eastern Ukraine.

If Russia’s win is confirmed, it underlines the urgency for Ukraine to receive more than $60 billion in new US military aid, which the House of Representatives approved on Saturday. It is expected to pass the Senate this week and be signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday urged Washington to quickly pass the bill into law and proceed with actual weapons transfers, saying long-range weapons and air defense systems are top priorities.

The Kremlin said on Monday that the new US aid would not change the situation on the front lines.

The influx of weapons should boost Kiev’s chances of averting a major Russian breakthrough in the east, military analysts say, but Kiev still faces battlefield manpower shortages.

(Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Gareth Jones)