DeepState reports loss of two villages near Ocheretyne and Kupyansk, Russia claims control

The announcement was made via the official Telegram channel of the Russian Ministry of Defense at 1:08 p.m. Kyiv time.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the "Center" military group successfully "liberated Ocheretyne of the Donetsk People's Republic through active operations."

The Ukrainian side has not officially responded or confirmed these claims yet.

On the night of May 4-5, 2024, the non-state OSINT project DeepState, monitoring the front situation, reported the loss of Arkhanhelske village near Ocheretyne (Donetsk region) by the Defense Forces of Ukraine. Additionally, according to DeepState analysts, Ukrainian defenders were allegedly compelled to retreat from Kotlyarivka village in the Kupyansk direction (Kharkiv region).

Regarding Ocheretyne, DeepState stated:

"The enemy has breached the administrative borders of Ocheretyne."

In the morning update, the project reiterated:

"All administrative boundaries of Ocheretyne are in the red zone."

On the DeepState interactive map, the red zone denotes Russian-controlled territory.

What's known about Ocheretyne and why the Russians want to seize it

Ocheretyne is a village located northwest of Donetsk, around 25 km from the regional center, which is temporarily occupied. It's home to the Ocheretyne hub railway station, situated on the Donetsk - Pokrovsk and Pokrovsk - Horlivka lines.

In 2021, Ocheretyne had a population of approximately 3,400 people. 

However, by early May 2024, according to Ukrainian authorities, only 198 people remained.

Military experts stress that if the Russians gain full control of Ocheretyne, they would be able to advance further northwest and cut off the strategically vital Pokrovsk - Kostiantynivka route, located just 12 km from the enemy.