Russia says captured two villages in Ukraine's Donetsk region

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics

Russia announced on Saturday that its forces had captured two villages in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, as Moscow steps up military pressure amid intensified diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, according to AFP.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Telegram that the army had taken control of the villages of Sredniy and Kleban-Byk.

Control of the latter marks an additional step toward the city of Kostyantynivka, a key stronghold on the road to Kramatorsk, which hosts a major Ukrainian military logistics base.

In recent months, Russia has made further gains on the ground against Ukrainian forces weakened by shortages of manpower and equipment.

Meanwhile, prospects for a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have dimmed. U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he would make an “important” decision within two weeks that could include sanctions on Russia, as Washington’s mediation efforts struggle to gain traction.

Also on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Zelensky of obstructing a meeting with Putin, a day after the Ukrainian leader leveled similar accusations against Moscow.

At present, Russian forces control around 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.