Russian troops have taken control of two more settlements along the 1,000-km front line in Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry on Friday announced the capture of three villages in its slow advance across the region.

Ukraine’s military did not acknowledge that any of the villages had changed hands. But it said its forces had recaptured from Russian troops a settlement further west on the edge of Dnipropetrovsk region.

Reuters could not independently confirm battlefield reports from either side.

Trump threatens Russia sanctions if no progress toward peace deal with Ukraine

Since an unsuccessful attempt to advance on the capital Kyiv in the early weeks of the February, 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s troops have focused on seizin

See Full Page