Russia claims capture of two Ukrainian villages

Monday 05 January 2026 - 10:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Russia claims capture of two Ukrainian villages

Russia's Defense Ministry announced on January 3 and 4 that its forces seized the village of Bondarne in Donetsk region and Podoly in Kharkiv region, the latest territorial claims as Moscow presses its grueling offensive in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities offered no comment on the assertions, and independent verification remains challenging amid ongoing fighting. These reports follow what analysts call Russia's most successful year of territorial expansion since the early months of its full-scale 2022 invasion.

Russian forces captured over 5,600 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2025, per an Institute for the Study of War analysis using AFP data equivalent to 0.94 percent of Ukraine's total area. The gains surpassed combined advances in 2023 and 2024 but fell far short of the more than 60,000 square kilometers taken in the initial 2022 push. The ministry stated Bondarne in Donetsk fell on January 3, followed by Podoly on January 4, a village about 5 kilometers east of frontline Kupiansk in Kharkiv.

Ukraine's General Staff reported 191 combat engagements on January 3, with fiercest fighting near Pokrovsk and Huliaipole directions. Russian troops launched 14 assaults near eight settlements in the Kupiansk sector, though Podoly went unmentioned in Ukrainian briefings. Colonel Viktor Trehubov of the Joint Forces said fewer than 100 Russian soldiers remain at Kupyansk, where commanders aim to seize the city by February 2026. He noted infiltration attempts from the north but reduced attack frequency lately.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met allied security advisors in Kyiv on January 3 to discuss peace frameworks and security guarantees. France and the United Kingdom lead a "coalition of the willing" set to finalize security proposals for Ukraine in January 2026.