Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that its forces captured two villages in eastern Ukraine, the latest in a string of gains for Moscow since launching a surprise ground offensive against the northeastern Kharkiv region last month.
Russian forces took control of Tymkivka in the Kharkiv region and Miasozharivka in the partially occupied Luhansk region, the defense ministry said in a statement.
Tymkivka lies around 120 kilometers east of the capital city of Kharkiv, while Miasozharivka lies just several dozen kilometers away in the northern part of the Luhansk region, which Moscow claims to have annexed.
Russia has made new territorial gains in recent months as it takes advantage of Ukrainian manpower shortages and a delay in U.S.-supplied military aid.
