ISTANBUL

Russia on Friday claimed that its forces took control of another settlement in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

According to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, its troops captured the village of Sosnove, located about 21 kilometers (13 miles) from the city of Sloviansk.

Sloviansk is one of Ukraine’s last strongholds in the eastern region, along with Kramatorsk, the region’s administrative center, since Moscow-backed forces captured Donetsk in 2014.

Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on Russia’s claim, and independent verification remains difficult due to the ongoing war, which entered its fifth year last month.