Russian forces capture two villages in eastern Ukraine

Russian forces on Sunday announced the capture of two villages in eastern Ukraine, as they continue to maintain their advantage over Ukrainian troops in the ongoing conflict.
The Russian ministry of defence said the military had taken control of Novooleksandrivka, situated to the west of the already occupied village of Ocheretyne, along with the smaller village of Spirne, located further north along the front line within the Donetsk region, according to AFP report.
These territorial gains come as Ukrainian forces, despite being outgunned and outmanned, have been managing to hold back the Russian advance for months.
Earlier in the day Russia, had revealed that the country's air defence systems had intercepted and eliminated 36 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that were deployed by Ukraine during the night, aimed at striking targets within Russian borders, according to a statement released by the Russian defence ministry on Telegram.
The ministry provided a breakdown of the drone attacks, stating that "fifteen drones were destroyed over the Kursk region, nine over the Lipetsk region, four each over the Voronezh and Bryansk regions and two each over the Oryol and Belgorod regions."
Meanwhile, Russia attacked Vilniansk, a town situated in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. According to official reports, the assault left 36 people injured. Ukrainian authorities announced Sunday as a day of mourning.
Russia-Ukraine conflict has now been ongoing for nearly two and a half years.