Earlier on Friday, Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced the capture of two villages on either side of Pokrovsk – Zvirove to the west and Novoekonomichne to the east. A third village – Novotoretske – near Pokrovsk was declared “liberated” by Moscow earlier this week.

Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least 12 civilians and injured more than 120 others. In the eastern Donetsk oblast, or province, systematic shelling and glide bombs killed six non-combatants and wounded 44 others.

With Trump now open to supplying U.S.-made weapons to Ukraine, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky calls for longer-range missiles and the permission to use them against Russia.