MOSCOW
Russia claimed on Friday that its forces captured eight Ukrainian settlements over the past week, including the village of Nova Kruglyakivka in the Kharkiv region the day prior.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement that Zapad (West), Yug (South), Tsentr (Center), and Vostok (East) group of forces carried out operations, taking more settlements in Donetsk and Kharikiv regions.
The ministry added that on Thursday night it launched a group strike with high-precision long-range air-launched weapons, including the hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missile system, as well as drones on the infrastructure of a Ukrainian military airfield.
Meanwhile, it added, Russian air defense systems shot down 32 US-made JDAM guided aerial bombs and two US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, a long-range guided missile Neptune and 1,221 drones.
Ukraine has yet to comment on Russia's claims, and independent verification is challenging due to the ongoing conflict.