ISTANBUL

Ukraine claimed on Thursday that it had recently retaken control of about 16 square kilometers (6.1 square miles) in its eastern Donetsk region, according to Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Syrskyi said Ukrainian forces had made this progress in recent weeks around the settlements of Udachne, Kotlyne, and Shevchenko.

Russian forces on Jan. 11 captured the village of Shevchenko, which is located almost 8 kilometers (5 miles) south of the city of Pokrovsk, a key front in Moscow's offensive in eastern Ukraine.

“In the Pokrovsky direction, our Defense Forces are stopping around 30 enemy assault operations every day and inflicting significant losses on the Russian occupiers,” he said on Facebook.

Syrskyi said he recently visited nearly all brigades in the area and worked directly with commanders on battlefield logistics and ammunition supply.

“I gave the necessary orders to resolve problematic issues and meet existing needs,” he said. “The enemy has not changed its plans – to push our units beyond the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and reach the administrative borders. However, this plan remains unrealized.”

Russian authorities have not yet commented on Ukraine's recent claims, and independent verification of the claims is difficult due to the ongoing war, which is now in its fourth year.