Trending 
Russia has claimed it has taken control of two additional towns in eastern Ukraine, just one day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to hold talks with US President Donald Trump.
In a statement released on Saturday, December 27, the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had been briefed by senior military officials on what it described as the capture of Myrnograd — referred to by its Soviet-era name, Dimitrov — as well as Guliaipole.
Myrnograd lies in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, close to Pokrovsk, a strategically important logistics centre that Moscow says it seized earlier this month.
The town’s proximity to key supply routes has made the area a focal point of Russian military operations in recent weeks.
Guliaipole is located in eastern Zaporizhzhia, a region where Russian forces have historically made slower progress. However, the Kremlin claims advances there have picked up pace in recent months as pressure increases along multiple sections of the front line.
Commenting on the reported developments, Putin said Russian offensives were intensifying across both areas, adding that the growing momentum was increasing strain on Ukrainian forces. His remarks were broadcast on Russian state television.
The announcement comes ahead of Zelenskyy’s visit to the United States, where he is expected to present a proposal aimed at bringing an end to the conflict during talks with Trump.
Putin reiterated Moscow’s stance that it remains open to a negotiated settlement but warned that if Kyiv refuses a peaceful resolution, Russia will continue to pursue its objectives through military means.
