Russia's Defense Ministry on Sunday said its troops had taken control of another village in eastern Ukraine as Moscow's troops pressed their advantage in manpower and ammunition on the battlefield.
Russian forces have made notable gains in the eastern Donetsk region over the past week, prompting rare criticism of the country's military from Ukrainian military bloggers.
“As a result of active actions, the Center troop unit liberated the village of Novobakhmutovka of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said at a daily briefing on military operations.
The village is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of Avdeevka, which Russian troops captured in February after one of the bloodiest battles in the two-year conflict.
The Deep State Telegram channel, which is close to Ukraine's armed forces, earlier this week blamed the leaders of Ukrainian units in the area for the "collapse of defenses throughout the region, resulting in significant losses."
On Saturday, Moscow said its troops around Donetsk had managed to penetrate “deeply” into Ukraine’s defensive lines.
Ukrainian army leaders have acknowledged that Russia has made some “tactical gains” in the region and that its own position has deteriorated.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry intelligence chief Kirill Budanov said this month that the fighting situation in Ukraine was likely to worsen from around mid-May to early June.
Kyiv is awaiting the arrival of billions of dollars worth of American weapons, which it hopes will stabilize the situation along its vast front lines.