Ukrainian troops have pulled back from a part of the key frontline town of Chasiv Yar in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, a military spokesman has said.
Kyiv's military spokesman Nazar Voloshyn told national television it had become "impractical to hold the canal neighbourhood after the enemy entered it".
Russia's defence ministry claimed yesterday that it had taken control of the "Novyi" district, which lies to the west of Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal.
Mr Voloshyn said holding on "threatened the lives and health of our servicemen", adding that troops' positions "were destroyed".
"The command decided to pull back to more protected and prepared positions, but even there the enemy does not stop its active combat actions," he added.
