Russian Defence Ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, has claimed that the country’s armed forces have taken full control of the city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine.
According to Russia’s state-owned Rossiya 24 news channel, Konashenkov disclosed this on Thursday morning.
“The Russian armed forces continue to carry out the missions of a special military operation. By the morning of 24 March, units of the Russian army had taken full control of the town of Izyum in the Kharkiv region,” Konashenkov said.
Meanwhile, Izyum is on a key route to the eastern Donbas region that would potentially allow Russian forces in the northeast and southeast to link up.
Izyum is a regional centre in the Kharkiv region with a population of about 50,000 people and an important railway junction.
The war between Russia and Ukraine began last month and many causalities have already been recorded.