Russia has said its forces in eastern Ukraine had taken two villages in the Donetsk region, upping military pressure on the ground as world leaders struggle to broker an end to the conflict.
The Defence Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that the villages of Seredne and Kleban Byk came under Russian control following operations carried out by the Southern and Western groups of forces.
According to the statement, Russian aviation, drones, missile forces, and artillery struck a Ukrainian military-industrial complex facility, as well as temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign fighters in 143 areas.
In response to Ukrainian air attacks, the ministry claimed that Russian air defence systems shot down four guided aerial bombs and 160 drones over the past week.
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.
Mediation bid loses momentum
The latest Russian advances come as hopes dim for a summit between Russian and Ukrainian presidents -- a solution campaigned for by US President Donald Trump as part of his efforts to end the conflict.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday that "no meeting" was planned as Trump's mediation efforts appeared to stall, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was trying to prolong the offensive.
Also Friday, Trump told reporters he would make an "important" decision in two weeks on Ukraine peace efforts, specifying that Moscow could face massive sanctions -- or he might "do nothing".
