Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday that its forces had taken control of the strategic coal-mining city of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine, but Ukraine's military denied the city had been captured and reported heavy fighting in and around it.

Russia’s Defense Ministry is claiming that its forces have captured the coal mining town of Toretsk, their latest breakthrough in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where Ukrainian defenses are creaking.

Russia launched overnight drone attacks on several Ukrainian cities and regions, including Kyiv, Donetsk, and Sumy. Ukrainian forces shot down 61 out of 83 UAVs. View on euronews

Russia on Friday said that its forces had taken control of the strategic coal-mining city of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine, a claim Ukraine’s military denied. Russia called the city, which had a pre-war population of around 30,