Russia says its forces have seized another settlement in Ukraine

Russia has claimed its forces have taken control of a village in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv’s new Flamingo missiles successfully struck targets deep inside Russian territory, underscoring the continuing intensity of the conflict.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday (25 February) that its troops had captured the village of Hrafske in the Kharkiv region, crediting the advance to the Sever (North) group of forces.

Speaking at a news conference in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s newest Flamingo missiles had hit targets 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) away.

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

He added that missile production had been restored following earlier Russian strikes on industrial facilities, and that Ukraine was now increasing output as far as financing and the availability of components allowed.

Zelenskyy also said Russian air defences had attempted to intercept the missiles, but that the operation had still achieved its objective.

“Russian air defence shot down some of the missiles. There were also clear hits. But the most important thing is that all launched rockets reached their designated targets,” he said.

Claims from either side could not be independently verified due to the ongoing conflict.

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Drone attack in western Russia

Meanwhile, Russian investigators said seven people were killed and at least 10 wounded on Wednesday (25 February) in what they described as a Ukrainian drone attack on a chemical plant in western Russia.

The state Investigative Committee characterised the incident, in the Smolensk region, as an act of terrorism by the Ukrainian military and said it would seek to identify those responsible.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

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Ukraine War Russia Politics kharkiv Flamingo missiles Hrafske Village Volodymyr Zelenskyy