Russia claims it took control of 2 settlements in eastern, northeastern Ukraine

Russia claimed on Friday that it took control of two settlements in eastern and northeastern Ukraine.

A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces in the eastern Donetsk region captured the village of Dibrova, located about 19 kilometers (11.8 miles) northeast of the city of Sloviansk.

Sloviansk is one of Ukraine’s last strongholds in the region, other than Kramatorsk, which became its administrative center after Moscow captured the city of Donetsk in 2014.

The statement further claimed that Russian forces also took control of the village of Myropilske, situated less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) from Ukraine’s border with Russia in the northeastern Sumy region.

Ukraine’s General Staff claimed in an earlier statement that Russian forces made six attempts to get through Ukraine’s defenses near four settlements in the Lyman front, including Dibrova.

However, Ukraine has not yet commented on Russia’s recent claims, and independent verification of the claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.