War map of Ukraine shows Russia claims four villages within two days

The Russian Defense Ministry said four Ukrainian villages had been “liberated” over the past two days, as Ukraine continued its defense against Moscow’s grueling offensive on several fronts.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed in its Telegram battlefield updates on Sunday and Monday to have captured the settlements of Stepova Novoselivka in the northeastern Kharkiv region, as well as Novooleksandrivka, Novopokrovske and Spirne in the eastern Donetsk region.

A map published by popular Ukrainian war blog Deep State on Monday showed that Stepova Novoselivka is still under Ukrainian control, while control of Spirne was shown to be split between the two powers. Deep State showed that both Novooleksandrivka and Novopokrovske had fallen under Russian control.

Novopokrovske and Novooleksandrivka lie northeast of Avdiivka, the fall of which in February triggered an acceleration of the Russian offensive tempo in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Although Kyiv was able to slow and contain the breakout from Avdiivka, Moscow’s forces are steadily advancing in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be sticking to his strategy of attrition, with which he has gained control over large parts of southern and eastern Ukraine at enormous cost in human life and material.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank wrote on Sunday: “Putin has articulated a theory of victory that assumes that Russian forces will be able to continue their gradual advance indefinitely, deter Ukraine from successful, operationally significant counteroffensives, and win a war of attrition against Ukrainian forces.”

“The Russian military command currently prioritizes consistent offensive operations designed to achieve gradual tactical successes over conducting large-scale, discreet offensive operations designed to achieve significant operational successes through rapid maneuvers.

“Putin and the Russian military command likely view stealthy offensive operations as a safer way to achieve success in Ukraine than larger mobile offensives. They appear to accept the reality that Russian forces will need to pursue single, operationally significant targets over many months or even years.”

Putin has not softened his demand that Ukraine cede all territories in the four regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson – that Moscow is said to have annexed in September 2022.

Kyiv remains committed to full territorial liberation within its internationally recognized 1991 borders. President Volodymyr Selenskyj told the Philadelphia Enquirer in an interview published on Sunday that Ukraine’s Western supporters need to develop a more concrete and comprehensive vision of victory.

“The West wanted to deny Putin the opportunity to fully occupy Ukraine and put the aggressor in his place. I think for them it is already a victory,” said Zelensky. “But for us, for the people on the front lines who have lost their brothers in arms, the civilians who have lost their relatives, those who have fled abroad but whose husbands are living on the front lines – for us the victory is a moment of satisfaction.”

“We are grateful that the West did not allow Russia to (fully) occupy us, but we need justice.”