Ukraine denies Huliapole in southeastern Zaporizhzhia under Russian control

Ukraine on Sunday denied Russia's claims that the town of Huliaipole in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region went under Russian control.

A statement by Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces said the situation in the embattled settlement is "very difficult," but confirmed that part of the town is under the control of Russian troops.

The statement noted a "significant advantage in both manpower and weapons" on the part of Russian forces in the area, claiming they have stormed Ukrainian positions in the town "almost two dozen times" over the past day, with clashes still ongoing.

"However, a significant part of Huliaipole continues to be held by the Ukrainian Defense Forces," the statement said, adding Russian forces do not yet have full control of the settlement.

Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, at a briefing with President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, claimed the capture of Huliaipole and the city of Myrnohrad in the Donetsk region, as well as multiple other settlements in Ukraine over the past two weeks.

Gerasimov also claimed the capture of the village of Stepnohirsk in Zaporizhzhia, about 32 kilometers (19.8 miles) southeast of the region's administrative center.

Regarding the situation in Stepnohirsk, the Southern Defense Forces said clashes are ongoing for the control of the settlement, adding that part of the village still remained under Ukrainian control.

Independent verification of the claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.