Russia claims capture of two eastern villages amid intense frontline clashes

Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed that its forces captured two additional settlements, Matyashevo and Nikolaypolye, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast, according to state media. Ukrainian authorities have not yet issued a response to the announcements, which remain independently unverified.

The reported territorial advances coincide with intense Russian offensive pressure across the eastern front. Persistent artillery fire and aerial bombardments have heavily damaged Druzhkivka, a critical anchor of the Kramatorsk defensive belt, where local officials report the population has decreased from roughly 56,000 to fewer than 4,000 inhabitants.

The ground operations unfold alongside extensive cross-border aerial exchanges, including a major Ukrainian drone barrage targeting the Moscow area, where Russian officials reported three injuries after downing over 200 unmanned aerial vehicles overnight.

Sources: Investor.bg, Mediapool, Nova TV