ISTANBUL

Russia on Tuesday claimed that it took control of two more settlements amid its ongoing offensive in eastern Ukraine.

Russian forces captured the village of Romanivka, about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) south of the city of Kurakhove, a key stronghold of Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region that houses a thermal power plant, according to a Defense Ministry statement.

It further claimed that Russian forces also took control of the settlement of Novodarivka, located about 110 kilometers (68 miles) east of the city of Zaporizhzhia.

Russian authorities have not yet commented on the claims, and independent verification of Moscow’s claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.