Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on June 2 that its forces captured the village of Umanske in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast.
In its daily situation report on June 2, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces did not mention Umanske but did say Russian forces were "trying to advance" in the direction of Sokil, a village around 10 kilometers to the north.
"Two attacks have been repelled, three more are in progress," the post on Facebook said, adding: "The situation remains tense. Defense forces are taking measures to stabilize the frontline."
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports.
Umanske is located in the Pokrovsky district of the Donetsk region, approximately 30 kilometers northwest of Donetsk.
But according to the crowd-sourced DeepState monitoring site, Umanske fell to Russian forces on May 26. This information could not be verified.
The Russian independent news outlet Meduza, when reporting the Kremlin Defense Ministry's comments on June 2, said according to its own data "Russian troops captured Umanske no later than May 9."
"It is unclear why the department announced the seizure of the village only now," Meduza added.
Russia's Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said on May 31 that Moscow's forces had seized 880 square kilometres (340 square miles) of Ukrainian territory in 2024.
Francis Farrell
The Kyiv Independent doesn’t depend on a wealthy owner or an oligarch — in 2023, 80% of our revenue was from reader contributions. It’s thanks to them that we don’t have to rely on a single owner.
Support us now and help maintain our independent model and keep our articles free for everyone. Your contributions allow us to cover journalists’ salaries, report from the front lines, and fund projects like our War Crimes Investigations Unit.
