Russian troops on Monday captured the east Ukraine metropolis of Kreminna, neighborhood authorities stated, as Kyiv’s military released salvos on Russian forces in the nearby agreement of Rubizhne.

“There becomes a main attack within the night” from Sunday to Monday in Kreminna, the Lugansk local governor Sergiy Gaiday stated in a statement on social media.

“The Russian army has already entered there, with a huge amount of military hardware … Our defenders have retreated to new positions,” he added.

Kreminna, with a pre-war population of nearly 20,000 people is around 50 kilometers (31 miles) northeast of Kramatorsk, the region’s administrative center, and is a strategic target for invading Russian forces.

Rubizhne, which is under the control of Russian forces, was under intense fire from Ukrainian artillery and mortars, AFP journalists reported.

Powerful explosions may be visible in Rubizhne, now and again accompanied by fires and plumes of white or black smoke.

Russian forces have stepped up their offensive to capture the eastern Donbas location of Ukraine having pulled returned troops deployed across the capital Kyiv at the beginning of the invasion in past due February.