MOSCOW

Russia claimed on Friday that its forces captured seven Ukrainian settlements over the past week, including Oleksandrivka in the past day.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement that the village of Oleksandrivka in the eastern Donetsk region went under its control in the last 24 hours after an operation carried out by Vostok (East) group of forces.

The two countries also continued air battles over the week, with Russian air defense systems shooting down a Su-27 fighter jet, 27 guided aerial bombs, 20 US-made HIMARS rockets, two long-range Neptune guided missiles, and 2,134 drones, the ministry said.

Ukraine has yet to comment on Russia's claims, and independent verification is challenging due to the ongoing conflict.