Russia Says It Took Control of Three Settlements in Ukraine, State Media Reports 

Pedestrians walk past a monument destroyed by Russian bombing in Sumy, northeastern Ukraine, on June 12, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

Russian forces have taken control of three new Ukrainian villages, Yablonovka in the northeastern Sumy region, and Koptevo and Komar in the eastern Donetsk region, state media cited the Russian Defense Ministry as saying on Friday.

The state TASS news agency cited the ministry as saying that Russian troops had captured six Ukrainian villages over the past week.

Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield reports.