In a continued escalation of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Moscow announced on Thursday that it had captured another village located approximately 10 kilometers west of Avdiivka, which fell to Russian forces last month. The village of Tonenke is the second village claimed to have been seized by Moscow this week, highlighting recent successes for Russia on the battlefield. These gains come as Kyiv is faced with an ammunition shortage.

Russia's Defense Ministry declared, "The Russian armed forces liberated the village of Tonenke," during its daily briefing. This announcement follows Moscow's seizure of Avdiivka in February after one of the bloodiest battles witnessed in the two-year conflict. The Kremlin hailed the capture as a significant turning point in their favor.

Adding to the tensions, Russia launched a large-scale missile attack on Kyiv early Thursday. Ukrainian authorities reported that more than 30 missiles were fired at the capital by Russian forces. The Defense Ministry in Moscow claimed that "high-precision weapons," including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, were used to target the "command centers" of Ukraine's armed forces. These attacks come in response to Ukrainian escalations along Russia's border regions, according to President Vladimir Putin's vow to respond to such provocations.

Meanwhile, Russian units continued to undertake measures to prevent the infiltration of sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the border region of Belgorod, as stated by the Defense Ministry. The border regions of Russia have recently witnessed increased Ukrainian shelling and incursions by anti-Kremlin militias fighting in support of Kyiv.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine shows no signs of abating, with both Moscow and Kyiv asserting their positions and engaging in military actions. The international community remains concerned about the escalating violence and urges for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

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