MOSCOW: Russia said on Sunday its forces had captured two villages in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, as they push towards the city of Pokrovsk, northwest of the regional capital.

The Russian defence ministry said troops had taken control of the neighbouring villages of Progres and Yevgenivka, a few kilometres apart.

On Saturday Russia claimed the nearby village of Lozuvatske, one of nearly a dozen it says it has captured in the Donetsk region this month.

The Kremlin has recently centred its offensive capabilities on the region, which it claimed to have annexed months after launching its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia claims capture of another village in east Ukraine

Ukraine’s General Staff said on Sunday morning its forces had repelled 29 attacks in the area, where Russia was trying to dislodge its units.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday reiterated calls for allies to provide the country with air defence systems, saying it has been bombarded by nearly 700 guided bombs and more than 100 Shahed drones this week alone.

“Every concrete decision of our partners to strengthen our force can save lives,” he wrote on Telegram.