The Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed on Friday that his army was advancing and even referred to alleged territorial gains over Ukraine in a discussion with senior officials.

“Our units are advancing, expanding the zone under their control, improving their position on the front line,” he told a meeting in Moscow. “After the failure of the enemy’s counterattack, the Russian armed forces have the strategic initiative on the entire front line.”

Shoigu added that the Russian army occupied the villages of Tabagivka and Kromalni in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv and the village of Vesele near Bakhmut in the Donbas region. However, the war situation in these villages where a few houses remain is not entirely clear, and the claims of cannot be verified.

Tmapagivka has suffered heavy damage but remains in Ukrainian hands, a military spokesman in Kiev said today, adding that “artillery duels are taking place”.

Ukraine has been defending its territory with heavy Western support against an all-out Russian invasion for nearly two years. The battles are still focused around its eastern and southern regions.

Ukrainian armed forces launched a counteroffensive in June 2023 but its progress has been limited. Kiev has vowed to retake territory seized by Russia, including the Crimean Peninsula which the Kremlin annexed in 2014 in violation of international law.

So far, Kiev has not commented on the Russian defense minister’s statements.