Moscow announces its forces’ control over a town in the Ukrainian Donetsk province

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced today, Thursday, that its forces had taken control of the town of "Ivanovka" in the "Donetsk" province, after defeating Ukrainian forces from it. The Ministry said in a statement that units of the Russian "Center" forces group took control of the town after repelling seven counterattacks launched by attack groups of the 53rd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 15th Brigade of the National Guard, confirming that 470 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the fighting that took place on the outskirts of the town and inside it, in addition to the destruction of a number of vehicles and mechanisms. In another context, Alexei Smirnov, the acting governor of "Kursk", stated in press statements that the "Glushkov" area, with a population of 20,000, is being evacuated, adding that at least 200,000 people have been evacuated from the border areas so far, while the Russian army noted that its defense forces shot down Ukrainian drones over the "Belgorod" area, and "Sukhoi-34" bombers bombed Ukrainian positions in "Kursk". It said that fierce battles are taking place along the Ukrainian front, adding that its forces are positioned "in better positions than the Ukrainian forces at several points". Source: National Iraqi News Agency