Kiyv [Ukraine], October 30 : In a major victory, the Russian Defence Ministry announced on Tuesday that it has taken control of the key Ukrainian town of Selydove in the Donetsk region, CNN reported.
Selydove is located southeast of the strategic city of Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region.
Reports from the frontlines indicated that Russian forces had been making advances toward Selydove over the past few weeks as part of their ongoing military campaign in eastern Ukraine.
The town had served as a crucial defence point for Ukraine, helping to block Russian progress toward Pokrovsk, according to CNN.
However, Ukrainian officials have not yet responded to Moscow's claims of gaining control over the town.
Earlier on Sunday, a spokesperson for a Ukrainian National Guard brigade engaged in fighting in Selydove said the town had been "constantly attacked from several directions" for a week.
"[Russia] continues to assault with very large troop numbers. They used reserves from the north of the frontline's Pokrovsk section to increase pressure on Selydove," said Vitaliy Milovidov, spokesperson for the 15th Brigade National Guard.
"At the same time, the enemy is not destroying the city's infrastructure," he noted. "Most likely, they want to keep the town as a foothold for themselves in the future. Selydove is a large town where you can accommodate a large number of people and hide equipment."
Earlier on Tuesday, Russian state media TASS released video footage purportedly showing troops raising the Russian flag in Selydove.
Russia continued its aerial attacks on various Ukrainian cities overnight into Tuesday, killing nine people and injuring 46 more in strikes across Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Kyiv, CNN reported, citing reports.
In Kharkiv, one of the major cities in Ukraine, a Russian bomb severely damaged the Derzhprom building, a notable cultural monument known for its modernist architecture.
Meanwhile, reacting to the report stating the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated the latest development is extending the nearly three-year conflict beyond the borders of the involved nations.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy informed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol that around 3,000 North Korean troops are currently stationed at military bases near the Ukrainian front, with expectations that this number will rise to 12,000, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder noted that a "relatively small number" of North Korean soldiers are present in Russia's Kursk region, where Russian forces are facing challenges against a Ukrainian advance, and that additional troops are on their way.
Zelenskyy stated on Telegram, "There is only one conclusion--this war is internationalised and goes beyond the borders" of Ukraine and Russia.
He also mentioned that he and Yoon agreed to enhance cooperation between their countries, share more intelligence, and develop concrete responses to North Korea's involvement, as per Al Jazeera.