Russia says it seized key village in southern Ukraine

Russian sniper, in an undisclosed location, fires towards Ukrainian forces. (Photo/Russian Defense Ministry)

Russia has said it captured the village of Levadne in southern Ukraine as it probes for weaknesses along the war's roughly 1,000-kilometre front line, including in eastern areas that are the main focus of Moscow's military offensive before winter arrives.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday its forces "liberated" the village and occupied better positions in the area.

Ukrainian officials did not comment on Levadne's reported capture. However, they had previously noted that the Russian army was assembling troops there and was conducting local assaults at the end of last week.

Levadne, in the Zaporizhzhia region, was seized by the Russians early on during the full-scale war, which began on February 24, 2022, but was recaptured by Ukrainian forces during a counteroffensive in the summer of 2023.

In his nightly address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was briefed on Russia's autumn and winter plans for attacking Ukraine and said North Korea was supporting Moscow.

Killings in south

Meanwhile, Russian attacks have killed three people in southern Ukraine.

In the southern Kherson region, two women aged 72 and 56 were killed when Russia "attacked a civilian car with a drone," governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram.

Russian shelling on the port of Odessa also left one dead and eight wounded, authorities said.

The Odessa attack also damaged two civilian ships, including a Palau-flagged cargo vessel that was struck "for the second time" in two weeks, Ukrainian deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba wrote on Telegram.

The attack damaged port infrastructure, including a grain warehouse, he added.