As they continue their onslaught in the eastern part of Donetsk, Moscow claims that its soldiers have taken Klishchiivka.
A town in eastern Ukraine close to Bakhmut, where combat has been going on for months, is reportedly under Russian control.
Klishchiivka, a village in the Donetsk area of Ukraine, was taken by Russian forces, according to a combat update released by the Russian Ministry of Defence on Friday.
With the help of artillery and aerial support, ground forces were able to take control of Klishchiivka, which had a pre-war population of roughly 400 people, according to the ministry.
Ukraine did not immediately respond with a statement.
The settlement is located approximately 9 kilometres (6 miles) south of Bakhmut, a strategically significant city that Russian forces have struggled to seize from Ukrainian soldiers in some of the fiercest engagements of the war with the help of mercenaries from the Wagner Group.
Before the defence ministry's announcement, both the Wagner Group and separatist troops in Donetsk fighting under the flag of the self-declared breakaway Donetsk People's Republic claimed to have taken possession of Klishchiivka.
Ukraine’s allies weigh whether to send tanks
As the Western allies of Ukraine gathered in Germany to consider bolstering their military backing, Russia claimed to have achieved battlefield breakthroughs.
The discussions at the Ramstein Air Base come in response to concerns from the Ukrainian government that Russia is attempting to re-energize its invasion after suffering a run of defeats recently.
Prior to the summit, the United States and Finland announced increased military assistance. The major topic of discussion was whether Germany would let militaries around Europe to transfer Leopard 2 tanks built in Germany to Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, addressed the gathering via video connection and thanked allies for their assistance but stressed the urgent need for further help.
We need to move more quickly, Zelenskyy remarked. We need to use time as a weapon. Kremlin must fall short.
Josep Borrell, the senior diplomat for the European Union, told reporters in Madrid that certain European nations were prepared to send heavy tanks and expressed his hope that such a decision would be made.
Berlin has veto authority over any decision to allow its tanks to be exported from nations that employ them, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz's administration is hesitant due to concerns that doing so would antagonise Russia.
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