MOSCOW

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Saturday claimed that it has taken control of two more settlements in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

Areas held by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donbas region were targeted, and the Russian army has seized several key positions, according to a ministry statement.

"As a result of effective offensive operations, Eastern military units have liberated the settlements of Skudnoye and Burlatskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic," it added.