Moscow: Russia announced on Monday that it has taken control of three settlements in eastern Ukraine as part of its ongoing offensive in the region, extending the over three-and-a-half-year conflict between the two nations.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces have seized the village of Dvorichanske in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region. This settlement is located approximately 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border and about 37 kilometers (23 miles) north of Kupiansk, a frontline town experiencing intense clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

The ministry also claimed that its forces captured Platonivka in the eastern Donetsk region. This village lies about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) east of Sloviansk, a key Ukrainian stronghold in the region alongside Kramatorsk, which became the administrative center after Moscow's capture of Donetsk city in 2014.

Additionally, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian forces reportedly took control of the village of Hai, located roughly 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) north of Vyshneve. Moscow previously claimed to have captured Vyshneve at the end of last month.

Ukraine's General Staff reported that its forces successfully repelled six attacks near three settlements on the South Slobozhansk front, including Dvorichanske. They also claimed to have repelled Russian assaults on the Sloviansk and Oleksandrivka fronts. Ukrainian authorities have yet to comment on Russia's recent claims, and independent verification of these claims remains challenging due to the ongoing conflict.