Russia on Saturday said its forces in east Ukraine had taken two villages in the Donetsk region, upping military pressure on the ground as world leaders struggle to broker an end to the conflict.
Russian forces are slowly advancing in the embattled eastern region, grinding closer to Kyiv鈥檚 key defensive line in costly metre-for-metre battles.
Moscow鈥檚 defence ministry said on Telegram that Russian forces captured the villages of Sredneye and Kleban-Byk.
The taking of Kleban-Byk would mark a further advance towards Kostiantynivka鈥攁 key fortified town on the road to Kramatorsk, where a major Ukrainian logistics base is located.
On Friday, Russia said its troops had captured three villages in the Donetsk region it claimed to have annexed in September 2022.
The latest Russian advances come as hopes dim for a summit between Russian and Ukrainian presidents鈥攁 solution campaigned for by US president Donald Trump as part of his efforts to end the conflict.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday 鈥榥o meeting鈥� was planned as Trump鈥檚 mediation efforts appeared to stall, while Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was trying to prolong the offensive.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday 鈥榥o meeting鈥� was planned as Trump鈥檚 mediation efforts appeared to stall, while Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was trying to prolong the offensive.
鈥楾here is no meeting planned,鈥� Lavrov said in an interview with NBC鈥檚 鈥楳eet the Press with Kristen Welker鈥�.
US president Donald Trump raised expectations for a swift summit between the leaders, by saying they have both agreed to meet after he received president Volodymyr Zelensky with European allies in the White House.
Lavrov told the US broadcaster that Russian president Vladimir Putin was 鈥榬eady to meet Zelensky when the agenda would be ready for a summit,鈥� adding that it was 鈥榥ot ready at all鈥�.
Lavrov earlier this week slammed the White House meeting as a 鈥榗lumsy鈥� attempt by Europeans to change the US leader鈥檚 position on Ukraine, agreed with Putin at a summit in Alaska last week.
And on Friday, he dashed hopes for a Putin-Zelensky meeting to resolve the conflict now in its fourth year, by questioning the Ukrainian president鈥檚 legitimacy and repeating Russia鈥檚 maximalist claims.
鈥楾here are several principles which Washington believes must be accepted, including no NATO membership, including the discussion of territorial issues, and Zelensky said no to everything,鈥� according to Lavrov.
Russia鈥檚 defence ministry on the same day said its troops have captured three villages in Ukraine鈥檚 east Donetsk region, grinding closer to Kyiv鈥檚 key defensive line in the embattled area.
