Ukraine denies Russia's claim of capturing town near Pokrovsk, maintains 'control over key positions'
Ukraine's Air Assault Forces refuted on Jan. 4 Russia's reports about the capture of the town of Rodynske in Donetsk Oblast.
Ukrainian soldiers continue to hold the defense inside Rodynske and its outskirts, the military said.
On the same day, the 1st Azov Corps of the National Guard published a similar statement, specifying that units of the 20th and 14th National Guard Brigades, as well as the 132nd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion, were holding positions inside the town.
Russia's defense ministry had announced the capture of Rodynske, along with Myrnohrad and two other villages on Jan. 2.
Rodynske is located to the north of Pokrovsk, a key battleground in Donetsk Oblast and consistently one of the hotspots of the front line.
Located along what was once the main Ukrainian logistics route into Pokrovsk, Rodynske has seen heavy fighting since summer 2025, when Russian forces approached the large mine on the town's eastern outskirts.
Pokrovsk itself, Kyiv claims, remains contested, although the majority of the city lies firmly under Russian control.
"Russian propaganda continues to spread false statements regarding the situation on the front line near the town of Rodynske," the Air Assault Forces' statement read.
"Control over key positions is maintained. The enemy is suffering significant losses in manpower and equipment."
According to the Air Assault Forces, Russia is spreading "fabricated videos" and "manipulative reports" to falsely portray the capture of the settlement.
The Kyiv Independent couldn't verify the reports. According to Ukrainian battlefield mapping project Deep State, Rodynske lies in the grey zone between areas confirmed contested by the respective sides.
Russian troops continue their slow yet grinding progress in other regions of the front line as Moscow continues to ramp up its effort to seize additional Ukrainian territory amid ongoing peace talks brokered by the U.S.
In 2025, Russia occupied 4,336 square kilometers (1,674 square miles) of Ukrainian territory, accounting for less than 1% of the country, DeepState reported.
