(MENAFN) Moscow asserted on Saturday that its troops had taken control of two additional Ukrainian settlements, just hours after a significant meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska.

As stated by the Russian Defense Ministry, their military forces secured the village of Kolodiazi, which lies approximately 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) northeast of the city of Lyman.

Lyman remains a crucial location in the ongoing armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine within the eastern Donetsk region.

The same declaration also claimed that Russian troops gained control of the village of Vorone, situated in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Vorone is located around 24 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of the strategically important town of Velyka Novosilka.

Earlier this year, in January, Russia had announced the capture of Velyka Novosilka, which is positioned near the intersection of Ukraine's Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk territories.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's General Staff reported on Saturday morning that Russian troops had carried out 21 assaults in the vicinity of five different settlements, including Kolodiazi, on the Lyman front.

Ukrainian officials have not yet responded publicly to Russia's latest assertions. The ongoing nature of the conflict—now approaching three and a half years—makes it challenging to independently confirm battlefield developments.

The latest claims from Moscow emerged shortly after the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska, marking the first direct encounter between current Russian and American leaders in more than four years.

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