- Ukraine's General Staff says for 1st time since 2024, troops regained control over larger area of Ukrainian land in a month than Russia had captured during same perio

MOSCOW

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Monday that its forces captured another settlement in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

In a statement, the ministry said the village of Holubivka came under Moscow's control as a result of an offensive by the Southern group of Russian forces.

The ministry also reported that Ukraine launched a record number of drones against Russia overnight, with 754 unmanned aerial vehicles shot down across multiple regions. The most intense attacks occurred in the Ukraine-bordering regions of Bryansk, Belgorod, and Krasnodar, it said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's General Staff said on Telegram that for the first time since 2024, Ukrainian troops regained control over a larger area of Ukrainian land in a month than Russia had captured during the same period.

"We also take out the enemy on his territory. In February, 85 targets were hit by DeepStrike. Taking into account previous periods, we have a cumulative effect—a decrease in total oil refining volumes in the Russian Federation by 24.8%," the statement read.

Earlier in the day, Russian media reported that a chemical plant in the Novgorod region was targeted overnight by Ukrainian drones.

Due to the ongoing conflict, it is difficult to verify claims from both sides.