Russia has released new battlefield footage and issued fresh claims of territorial gains across eastern and southern Ukraine following heavy fighting. According to Moscow, Russian forces raised flags in Myrnohrad in the Donetsk region and Hulyaipole in Zaporizhzhia after close-quarters urban combat, describing the advances as part of a broader operational shift. Russian officials say multiple Ukrainian defensive lines have been breached and more than 76 square kilometres brought under control, though these claims could not be independently verified. Ukraine’s General Staff rejected the assertions, calling them false, while acknowledging that fighting along several fronts remains intense and the situation difficult. The developments come as Russia’s military leadership briefed President Vladimir Putin, who again questioned Kyiv’s willingness to pursue peace.