Russian-backed official says half of Donetsk under Moscow control

Advancing in some areas of the Donetsk region is difficult, the top Moscow-installed official in the occupied parts of the territory in eastern Ukraine said on Tuesday, adding that more than half was under Russian control.
The so-called Donetsk People’s Republic is one of four regions in Ukraine which Moscow proclaimed as its own in September in an exercise Ukraine and its allies denounced as a “sham,” coercive referendum.
Fierce fighting in the region in recent weeks has left unclear which parts of Donetsk are under Russian and Ukrainian control.
Russia has claimed to be gradually advancing its positions, with the defence ministry saying on Monday that its offensive there had killed 30 Ukrainian military personnel the day before.