Russia claims capture of 2 more Ukrainian settlements

Russia claimed on Tuesday that its forces captured two more settlements in Ukraine.

The Defense Ministry said on Telegram that its forces captured the village of Hryshyne in the Donetsk region and the village of Veterinarne in the Kharkiv region, located near the Ukraine-Russia border.

Earlier, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed that in March and April alone, Russian forces captured 34 settlements and about 700 square kilometers (434 square miles) of the territories.

He said that since the beginning of the year, Russian forces have taken control of 80 settlements.

Ukraine has yet to respond to Russia's claims, while independent verification is difficult due to the ongoing war.