Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Kovsharovka in the Kharkov region, according to a March 29 update from the Russian Ministry of Defense on the course of the special military operation in Ukraine.

The ministry reports that the town was captured following what it described as active and decisive actions by units of the «West» military grouping.

Kovsharovka itself was formed in 1987 through the merger of the villages of Pritulova, Zaborovka, and Kovsharovka. It lies on the left bank of the Oskol River, south of Kupyansk-Uzlovoy. Census data from 2001 recorded a population of just over 23,500 residents. By August 12, 2023, that number had dropped sharply to around 1,500.

In the same briefing, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that over the past 24 hours, its forces struck a storage site for Ukrainian long-range cruise missiles known as «Flamingo». Air defense units, it added, intercepted 13 guided aerial bombs and 345 drones launched by Ukrainian forces.

According to the ministry’s figures, Ukrainian losses across all sectors of the operation exceeded 1,275 personnel over the same period.

Earlier, on March 26, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the capture of Shevyakovka in the Kharkov region.