Russian and Ukrainian forces traded fresh blows on Thursday, as Moscow claimed the capture of multiple settlements in eastern Ukraine while Kiev reported a successful unmanned strike on a Russian support vessel docked in the Black Sea port of Sochi as diplomatic efforts remain stalled. The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that its forces had taken control of one settlement in the Donetsk region and three settlements in the Kharkiv region in the past day. The ministry also said it conducted group strikes on seaborne vessels, port infrastructure facilities used for Ukrainian military interests, and a military logistics center in the Kiev region.
In a separate development, the Ukrainian Navy Thursday announced that its unmanned surface vessels struck a Russian multi-purpose support vessel in the port of Sochi, causing a powerful explosion near the vessel, with large plumes of smoke seen rising from the area. The Ukrainian Navy identified the vessel as belonging to Russia's maritime and energy infrastructure system.
Russia claims capture of settlements, Ukraine reports strike on support vessel in Sochi
