ISTANBUL

Moscow claimed on Saturday that it took control of two more settlements in Ukraine, just hours after a key summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

According to a Defense Ministry statement, Russian forces captured the village of Kolodiazi, situated about 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) northeast of the city of Lyman, a key front in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war in the eastern Donetsk region.

The statement further claimed that its forces also took control of the village of Vorone in the Dnipropetrovsk region, located about 24 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of the strategic town of Velyka Novosilka.

In January, Russia claimed to have seized Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region. The town lies near the junction of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Ukraine’s General Staff claimed on Saturday morning that Russian forces launched 21 attacks near five settlements, including Kolodiazi, in the Lyman front.

Ukrainian authorities have not immediately commented on Russia’s claims, and independent verification of the claims is difficult due to the ongoing conflict, which is nearing three-and-a-half years.

Moscow's claims came hours after Trump and Putin held a key summit in Anchorage, Alaska. It was the first meeting between the sitting Russian and US presidents in over four years.