Russia claims that the city of Kurakhove, located on the front line of Ukraine, has been captured

An image captured on social media and provided by the Reuters news agency shows a soldier holding a Russian flag in Kurakhove. The footage has not been confirmed by the BBC.

Viktor Trehubov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Khortysia forces, told Reuters news agency that as of Monday morning, Ukrainian forces were still engaging Russian troops in Kurakhove.

Kurakhove is connected to Pokrovsk by roads that are part of the infrastructure for transporting troops and supplies across the front line.

Analyst Roman Pohorily says the acquisition of Kurakhove will allow the Russians to go north to attack Pokrovsk from a new direction.

The Russian Defense Ministry also claimed that its forces captured the village of Dachenske, about 8 km south of Pokrovsk, on Monday.

Kiev’s forces are reportedly suffering from a manpower shortage and have been losing ground in eastern Ukraine as Russian troops advance in recent months.