Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters —

Russia has captured two villages in Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukrainian open-source researchers confirmed on Tuesday, as Kremlin troops press an offensive amid a stalling diplomatic effort to end the war.

Ukraine’s outmanned and outgunned military has struggled to fend off grinding Russian advances in much of the east as Moscow increases pressure on Kyiv to give up territory in any peace negotiations.

Russian forces now occupy the villages of Zaporizke and Novoheorhiivka, according to DeepState, a group tracking battlefield developments. Moscow’s defense ministry had previously reported capturing both villages.

Ukraine’s military on Tuesday dismissed reports that Russian troops had occupied the villages as false.

“Russians have entered

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