Ukrainian Forces Deny Russian Claims of Minkivka Occupation in Donetsk Oblast

In a firm rebuttal issued Monday, Ukrainian military officials categorically denied Russian claims regarding the capture of Minkivka village in Donetsk Oblast, describing the assertions as deliberate misinformation designed to create an illusion of battlefield success.

“The settlement of Minkivka on the Sloviansk front remains under the control of Ukraine’s defence forces. Our units continue to carry out combat tasks on the assigned lines,” stated Operational Command Skhid (East) in their official communication.

The command further emphasized that “the aggressor state’s claims regarding the capture of Minkivka are false and constitute an information and psychological campaign aimed at projecting non-existent successes.”

Military analysts note that such claims align with Russia’s ongoing information warfare strategy, which frequently announces territorial gains before they are secured on the battlefield. The tactic serves multiple purposes: bolstering domestic support for the war, demoralizing Ukrainian forces, and creating confusion among international observers.

What makes this particular claim notable is that Russia’s Defense Ministry has not officially reported capturing Minkivka through its formal channels, suggesting the information may be circulating primarily through unofficial Russian military bloggers and propaganda outlets.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have strengthened their defensive positions in Myrnohrad, a strategically important town in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk Oblast. Military officials confirmed that reinforcements have arrived to bolster the defense of this coal-mining city, which lies approximately 60 kilometers northwest of the occupied city of Donetsk.

The contested information about Minkivka comes amid confirmed Russian advances in other sectors of the front line. Ukrainian authorities have acknowledged Russian troop movements in Vovchansk, a border city in Kharkiv Oblast that has faced renewed assault since May 2024, as well as in the Pokrovsk direction in Donetsk Oblast, where Russian forces have been steadily pushing westward since capturing the city in October.

The Sloviansk front, where Minkivka is located, has strategic significance as it represents one of the approaches to the major Ukrainian strongholds of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, which have been key objectives for Russian forces since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Military experts point out that control of small settlements like Minkivka can have outsized importance in this war of attrition, as they often serve as defensive nodes that, when captured, can expose broader sections of the front to potential breakthroughs.

The eastern Donetsk region has witnessed some of the war’s most intense fighting, with both sides suffering heavy casualties in the struggle for control of what remains largely a devastated landscape of destroyed villages and towns. The region forms part of the industrial heartland of Ukraine known as the Donbas, which has been partially occupied by Russian forces and Russian-backed separatists since 2014.

The pattern of Russian information operations often includes premature claims of territorial gains, which analysts suggest serves to create momentum and project an image of inevitable Russian advances. By contrast, Ukrainian military communications have generally proven more reliable in terms of acknowledging both territorial losses and gains, though delays in reporting are common due to operational security concerns.

As winter approaches, both sides appear to be positioning for potential offensives while consolidating current positions. The battle for small settlements like Minkivka underscores the grinding nature of the conflict, where gains are measured in meters rather than kilometers, and control of seemingly minor locations can determine the direction of future military operations.