MOSCOW

Russia on Wednesday claimed that its forces captured the village of Tolstoi in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

According to a Defense Ministry statement, the settlement went under Russia's control as a result of an operation carried out by the Vostok (East) group of forces.

The ministry also said it carried out a group strike last night using high-precision long-range air-launched weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and long-range drones, against the infrastructure of Ukraine's military airfields.

It also claimed that over the past day, Russian air defense systems shot down nine guided aerial bombs, four US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and 226 drones.

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