MOSCOW: Russia on Sunday said it had captured three more villages in eastern Ukraine as US, Ukrainian and European officials gathered in Geneva to discuss a controversial plan to end the war.
Moscow's defence ministry said troops had seized Petrivske in the Donetsk region, as well as Tikhe and Otradne in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Kyiv has been scrambling to hold on to key strongholds on the eastern front, where Russian soldiers have been steadily gaining ground.
Russia's latest advances came ahead of talks in Geneva to discuss US President Donald Trump's plan to end the nearly four-year war.
Trump has given Ukraine until November 27 to approve the proposal, but Kyiv is seeking changes to a draft that accepts some of Russia's hardline demands.
The 28-point plan would require the invaded country to cede territory, cut its army, and pledge never to join NATO.
It also offers Western security guarantees to Kyiv to prevent further Russian attacks.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has welcomed the proposal, saying it could "lay the foundation" for a final peace settlement, but threatened more land seizures if Ukraine walked away from negotiations.