Russian forces have taken control of two villages in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said Saturday, upping military pressure on the ground as world leaders struggle to broker an end to the conflict.
Russian forces are slowly advancing in the embattled eastern region, grinding closer to Kyiv's key defensive line in costly meter-for-meter battles.
Moscow's defense ministry said on Telegram that Russian forces captured the villages of Sredneye and Kleban-Byk.
The taking of Kleban-Byk would mark a further advance towards Kostiantynivka, a key fortified town on the road to Kramatorsk, where a major Ukrainian logistics base is located.
On Friday, Russia said its troops had captured three villages in the Donetsk region it claimed to have annexed in September 2022.
