MOSCOW: The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced that its forces have captured two villages in eastern Ukraine, a move that Moscow claims paves the way toward the key city of Kostiantynivka. This follows reports of Russia seizing three other villages in Donetsk just a day before. The developments come as hopes for a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky have diminished. Sergey Lavrov emphasized that “no meeting” is planned, while Donald Trump has promised to make a “significant” decision regarding peace in Ukraine within two weeks, hinting at potential widespread sanctions against Moscow. Simultaneously, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported multiple explosions near Ukrainian nuclear power plants, warning that the ongoing conflict poses a serious threat to nuclear safety. On Sunday, Russia also claimed that Ukraine targeted the Kursk nuclear power plant with a drone on the anniversary of its independence. Although the resulting fire was extinguished and radiation levels remained normal, concerns about a potential disaster persist. In another development, North Korean state media has released footage of its soldiers participating in the Ukraine war, which analysts interpret as a sign of strengthening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. Russia further claimed the capture of the village of “Filiya” in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, but Ukraine has denied this, asserting that it has achieved successes on other fronts.
