Ukraine denies Moscow’s claim to have captured third village in two weeks

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Monday that Russian troops have captured the village of Tabaivka in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, a claim that Ukrainian military spokesperson Volodymyr Fityo was quick to deny.

On Sunday morning, the unofficial Ukrainian war-tracking Telegram channel DeepState reported that Russian forces had occupied Tabaivka. That night, however, the channel said that Ukrainian troops had pushed the Russian army to the outskirts of the village and that the battle for Tabaivka was ongoing. The village is currently listed in the channel’s “gray zone” category, which indicates that neither side controls it.

On January 21, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Russian forces had captured the village of Krokhmalne, which neighbors Tabaivka. The Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed that Ukraine’s troops retreated from the village.

The Russian military has claimed to have captured three villages in Ukraine since the start of January. In addition to Tabaivka and Krokhmalne, Moscow said it took control of the village of Vesele in the Donetsk region.