Russia claims it captured 2 settlements in Ukraine's Sumy region as Kyiv denies one fell

Russia said on Tuesday that its forces had taken control of the settlements of Ryasne and Zapsillia in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region.

“Units of the ‘North’ group of forces, through active operations, established control over the settlements of Zapsillia and Ryasne in the Sumy region,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Ukraine’s General Staff, however, denied the claims about Ryasne, calling the information circulating in Russian media and online resources “false.”

“The information massively disseminated by enemy resources about the alleged capture of the village of Ryasne in the Krasnopillia community of the Sumy region by units of the Russian 34th Motorized Rifle Brigade and the ‘defeat’ of Ukrainian forces is another information and psychological operation and does not correspond to reality,” it said.

Neither side's claims could be verified independently.