Russia claims capture of 2 more settlements in Ukraine

Russia claimed Friday that its forces had captured two more Ukrainian settlements.

In a statement on Russian social media company Max, the Defense Ministry said it had taken control of the village of Stinky in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

Stinky is located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the city of Kramatorsk, which has served as the region’s administrative center since the city of Donetsk came under the control of Russian-backed separatists in 2014.

The ministry also claimed that the village of Virivka in the northeastern Kharkiv region had come under Moscow’s control, adding that Russia had captured a total of 12 Ukrainian settlements over the past week.

Ukraine has yet to comment on the latest claims, and independent verification remains difficult due to the ongoing war.