Russia claims capture of 2 more villages in Ukraine

Russia said Friday its forces had captured the frontline villages of Zhelanne Druge and Ostrivske in east Ukraine, the latest in a string of territorial gains for Moscow.

The Kremlin has been pushing ahead in east Ukraine for months, pressing its advantage against outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian soldiers.

Ostrivske lies on the eastern banks of the Kurakhove reservoir in an area where Russia is concentrating its offensive activity, according to the Ukrainian military.

“The settlements of Zhelannoye Vtoroye and Ostrovskoye were liberated,” the Russian defense ministry said, using the Russian names for the villages.

The ministry said it captured “Zhelannoye Vtoroye” in a briefing last week, and it was not immediately clear why it repeated that claim.

Moscow has made it a priority to capture Ukraine's Donbas region, which includes the east Ukrainian regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month.

Thousands of Ukrainian civilians living in frontline areas have fled in recent months, with authorities in the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk accelerating evacuation efforts as Moscow draws near.

(With inputs from Al Arabiya English)