The Russian defence ministry has said its forces had gained control over two settlements, Illinka and Petrivka, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
It also said that the Russian air defence system shot down 55 Ukrainian drones over the past 24 hours.
Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts from either side.
Russian forces hold a little less than 20% of Ukraine's territory and have advanced through the Donetsk region over the past two months at their fastest rate since March 2022, according to open source data.
They are approaching Kurakhove and the town of Pokrovsk to the north, site of the sole colliery that supplies Ukraine's steel industry with coking coal.
The European Union's new leadership team is keen to demonstrate it remains firm on backing Kyiv at a perilous moment for Ukraine nearly three years into its fight against Russia's all-out invasion.
