Russia said on Tuesday that its forces had captured two settlements in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, claiming further progress along the southern front.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said units from its Dnipro group took control of Novopavlivka, while troops from the East group captured Chervona Krynytsia after advancing into Ukrainian defensive positions. The claims were reported by Russian state and independent media outlets citing the ministry.

The ministry described the capture of Chervona Krynytsia as an advance “deep into” Ukrainian defensive lines. It said control of the settlement would allow Russian forces to expand the area under their control and increase pressure on Ukrainian positions in the region.

Ukraine had not publicly confirmed the loss of either settlement in the sources reviewed. Its General Staff said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had struck Russian military targets in occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia and elsewhere, including a Russian command and observation post in Polohy.

The Russian announcement came as fighting continued across multiple sectors of the front. Russia has reported a series of territorial gains in recent months, while Ukrainian authorities continue to report strikes against Russian military infrastructure and positions.

The Russian Defence Ministry also claimed that its air-defence systems had intercepted or destroyed 13 guided aerial bombs, a US-made HIMARS rocket and 1,050 Ukrainian drones during the previous 24 hours. Those figures are Russian military claims and could not be independently verified.

Russia's announcement of the two settlements comes amid a wider escalation in aerial attacks. Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes on Kyiv and surrounding areas on Tuesday killed at least 12 people, while Russia reported large-scale Ukrainian drone attacks against several areas of its territory.

The latest territorial claims remain subject to independent verification, with no Ukrainian confirmation of the reported capture of Novopavlivka and Chervona Krynytsia available at the time of publication.