Russia claims it took control of 2 more settlements in eastern Ukraine

​​​​​​​By Seyit Kurt and Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Moscow claimed on Wednesday that it captured two more settlements in eastern Ukraine where intense fighting continues between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

A Defense Ministry statement on Telegram said Russian forces took control of the settlement of Novopavlivka, about 4.5 kilometers (2.7 miles) southeast of Pokrovsk, a key front in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Moscow has repeatedly asserted territorial gains in the past months, particularly in Donetsk, where fighting has intensified around Pokrovsk.

Pokrovsk serves as a critical logistics hub for Ukraine's military operations in the region.

The statement also claimed that forces took control of the village of Oleksiivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Oleksiivya is 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the tri-junction point between the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

In a statement on Telegram, Ukraine's General Staff claimed to have repelled 69 assaults near 20 settlements, including Novopavlivka, on the Pokrovsk front.

But Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment on Russia's claims, and independent verification is difficult due to the war.