
Russia says it has managed to break through Ukrainian defense positions near the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia and is advancing across southern Ukraine.
Russian forces took the village of Stepove in Zaporizhzhia, according to a statement from the Kremlin's Defense Ministry.
Yuri Podolyaka, one of Russia's most influential military bloggers, said Russian forces had also taken the nearby village of Maly Shcherbaky.
"Our units have penetrated the first line of defense in the Zaporizhzhia direction," he said.
The breakthrough came a day before Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump spoke on the phone on Tuesday for the first time since the US and Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposal.
Ukraine has made modest gains in the east of the country in recent weeks, but has been forced to retreat to the Russian region of Kursk.