Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russian forces are prevailing in what he said was a "righteous battle" in Ukraine.
"Our fighters and commanders go on the attack, and the entire country, all of Russia, is waging this righteous battle and working hard," Putin said in a video published on the Kremlin's website on Monday.
"Together we are defending our love for the Motherland and the unity of our historical destiny, we are fighting and we are prevailing."
The war has no end in sight despite US President Donald Trump's diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to an end, including separate summits with Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders.
Russia controls nearly 114,500 square km, or 19 percent, of Ukraine, including Crimea, and a major chunk of territory in the east and southeast of the country, according to open source maps of the battlefield.
Trump, reversing his earlier stance, said last week that Ukraine has a chance at regaining territory, and Washington said it was considering Kiev's request to obtain Tomahawk cruise missiles for strikes deep into Russia.
More gains in Donetsk
Regarding battlefield developments, the Russian Defence Ministry said that Russian forces have taken control of two more frontline settlements in key areas of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.
Ukrainian officials did not address the Russian announcement concerning the two villages, but Zelenskyy said Kiev's counter-offensive operation near the town of Dobropillia, also in Donetsk region, made progress.
The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces were now in control of Shandryholove and Zarichne, both northeast of the city of Sloviansk - one of the centres Moscow hopes eventually to capture in its drive westward through Donetsk region.
It then issued a second statement saying Defence Minister Andrei Belousov had congratulated the unit for the "bold and decisive" actions that led to the capture of Zarichne, identified by its Soviet-era name, Kirovsk.
Video released by Russia's Ministry of Defence purports to show Russian troops moving from building to building and holding aloft a Russian flag as they take control of Shandryholove.
