Russian forces have successfully taken control of two additional settlements in the eastern part of Ukraine, the Russian Defence Ministry announced on Friday. The areas captured include the villages of Rih in the Donetsk region and Orestopil in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

In addition to the territorial gains, Russian troops executed large-scale overnight operations targeting Ukraine's military-industrial infrastructure and energy facilities, according to official statements.

Efforts to independently confirm these battlefield developments have so far been unsuccessful, as international news agency Reuters reported difficulty in verifying the claims.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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