Ukraine troops capture eastern village of Andriivka, military says

Ukrainian troops have captured a village near the eastern Russian-held city of Bakhmut, military authorities said on Friday.

“In the course of assault operations, they seized Andriivka in Donetsk region,” the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in a morning report.

The troops were inflicting significant losses on the manpower and equipment of the enemy, and fortifying some areas, it added.

Andriivka lies south of Bakhmut, the site of one of the bloodiest battles since the invasion by Russia in February last year.

The General Staff also reported “partial success” near another village south of the city, Klishchiivka.

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, initially reported on Thursday that Andriivka had been brought under Ukrainian control, but later said that was inaccurate as fighting was still raging around the village.