MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian defence ministry said on Sunday its forces had gained control over two settlements, Illinka and Petrivka, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
It also said that Russian air defence shot down 55 Ukrainian drones for the past 24 hours.
Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts from either side.
Russian forces hold a little less than 20% of Ukraine's territory and have advanced through Donetsk region over the past two months at their fastest rate since March 2022, according to open source data.
They are approaching Kurakhove and the town of Pokrovsk to the north, site of the sole colliery that supplies Ukraine's steel industry with coking coal.
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Frances Kerry)
