According to the Ministry of Defence in Moscow, the country's forces have advanced "deep into the enemy's defence" in the heavily contested Donetsk region.
The villages that are said to have been captured on Wednesday are located near a front section where Russian forces broke through Ukrainian defence last week, between the two logistical hubs Pokrovsk and Kostjantynivka.
Russia also claims to have captured a smaller community in the nearby Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk.
