Russian troops are said to have occupied the Ukrainian towns of Myrnohrad and Hulyaipol
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited one of the command posts of the Russian Armed Forces, where he received an update on the progress of the war in Ukraine.
According to the Kremlin, he was briefed by Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and the commanders of the "Center" and "East" groups.
Putin was told that Russian troops had captured the Ukrainian towns of Myrnohrad in the Donetsk region and Hulyaipol in the Zaporozhye region. The Ukrainian military, however, disputes these claims and claims that Russian attacks in these areas have been repelled.
At the same time, Putin has stated that Kiev is not interested in ending the war peacefully. He added that with Kiev's reluctance, Russia will achieve all goals by military force.
The statement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of continued escalation, especially after a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine.
(reuters, mja)