MOSCOW, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russian forces captured seven settlements and conducted large-scale strikes against Ukrainian military and industrial targets over the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
The ministry said Russian troops carried out one massive strike and 12 group strikes, targeting Ukrainian defense, metallurgical and petroleum enterprises, logistics hubs, fuel and transport infrastructure, military airfields, drone production facilities, ammunition and fuel depots, as well as temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries.
The settlements captured by Russian forces are located in the Sumy, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, it said.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that peace talks on Ukraine were at a "deep hold," accusing Kiev of refusing to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means.
"The Ukrainian side knows perfectly well our demands. They do not want to discuss them peacefully," Peskov said, adding that Russia was continuing to maintain a "favorable dynamic" on the battlefield.
Peskov said the advance of Russian forces along the front lines was "obvious" and Russia would continue its strikes on Ukrainian military and related infrastructure. ■