The Russian military has captured the Ukrainian mining city of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region, which has been under assault for about a year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian journalists on Monday.

Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin has been informed. There was no immediate confirmation from Kiev.

Russian forces have also reportedly taken the town of Vovchansk in neighbouring Kharkiv.

The claims could not be independently verified, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted during a visit to Paris that fighting around Pokrovsk and in Kharkiv remains intense.

Observers suggest Russia's announcement of military gains may be timed ahead of US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's expected visit to Moscow on Tuesday, as the Kremlin seeks to showcase progress before discussions on a potential peace plan.