Ukraine rejects Russia's claim of capturing Krasna Hora village near Bakhmut; 'not true'

A Ukrainian official rejected the claims by Russia that it had captured another village near the war-torn city of Bakhmut. According to CNN, on Monday, the Russian forces claimed that they have captured the village of Krasna Hora near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. The eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut belongs to the greater region of Donetsk Oblast and has been one of the most strategically crucial territories in the Russia-Ukraine war.  While the Russian bloc boasted about their new triumph, Serhii Cherevatyi, Ukrainian spokesperson for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces told CNN that the proclamation made by the Kremlin is “not true”. 

Calling the Russian claims false, the Ukrainian official maintained that the Ukrainian forces are holding their ground in the Krasna Hora village and the city of Bakhmut. "There are ongoing battles there. We are keeping it under our control,” Cherevatyi said. "The enemy made 85 attacks in the Bakhmut sector. There were 33 combat engagements. In the area of the city of Bakhmut, there were 25 attacks and 19 combat engagements," he added. With his asserting Cherevatyi made it clear that Bakhmut remains one the major focus of the Russian attacks. 

The Russian claims

On Monday, The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the Russian forces has captured the village of Krasna Hora near Bakhmut. Earlier, the Russian private mercenary group Wagner boasted about capturing the aforementioned village. “In the Donetsk direction, the volunteers of the assault detachments, with fire support from the rocket troops and artillery of the Southern group of troops, liberated the settlement of Krasna Hora in the Donetsk People's Republic," the Russian Defense ministry asserted in a daily briefing. If the claims are true, then the Russian forces are eying to encircle the city of Bakhmut. The village in question lies on the main north-south road leading to Bakhmut, Krasna Hora sits just below Soledar, a salt mine city, captured by the Russian forces last month. 

The Batlle for Bakhmut continues

On Monday, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense asserted in a Telegram post that “the battle for Bakhmut continues”, CNN reported. The Defence Ministry made it clear in the post that despite the constant barrage of attacks from the Russian forces, the Ukrainian forces are still actively involved in direct combat with “the enemy”. "The enemy is constantly changing tactics. Sometimes it attacks with small assault groups, sometimes it uses dozens of mobilized soldiers to attack. Sometimes it intensifies shelling at night, systematically hits rear cities with rockets, terrorizes civilians, and undermines civilian infrastructure," the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine said. "Sometimes, the occupier seems to be stronger and more numerous. However, it has one big weakness: it is playing on someone else's field, fighting for someone else's land. And this is what promises the invader a big failure,” the statement reads.