Russia Says It Took Control of Another Ukrainian Settlement

(MENAFN) Russia claimed fresh territorial advances in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region Wednesday, even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a significant long-range missile strike deep into Russian territory — a twin development underscoring the war's intensifying pace on both sides of the front line.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces had seized the village of Hrafske, attributing the capture to the battlefield actions of the Sever (North) group of forces operating in the region.

In a striking battlefield counterpunch, Zelenskyy revealed at a Kyiv news conference that Ukraine's domestically produced Flamingo missiles had successfully engaged targets on Russian soil at a range of 1,400 kilometers — approximately 870 miles.

"There were precise attacks with Flamingo missiles at 1,400 kilometers. I think this is a real success for our industry," he said.

The Ukrainian leader highlighted the resilience of the country's defense manufacturing sector, noting that missile production had been successfully restored following Russian strikes on key industrial facilities. He added that Kyiv is now scaling up output to the fullest extent that available funding and component supplies will allow.

Zelenskyy also acknowledged that Russian air defenses mounted an interception effort — but insisted the mission was completed successfully regardless.

"The Russian air defense shot some of the missiles down. There were also clear hits. But the most important thing is that all launched rockets reached the designated target," he said.

Independent verification of battlefield claims from either side remains difficult given the active nature of the conflict.

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