"As a result of decisive actions, units of Battlegroup Tsentr group of forces liberated the village of Pavlovka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said in a statement.
Battlegroup Yug has taken control of the village of Fedorovka vtoraya in the DPR, the ministry added.
The liberation of the settlements of Pavlovka and Fedorovka Vtoraya in the Donetsk region has enabled the Russian army's further advance towards the cities of Druzkovka and Slavyansk, a municipality which is the center of the largest Kiev-controlled agglomeration in the Donbass.
Ukraine lost up to 345 soldiers in combat against Russia's Battlegroup Tsentr over the past day, in addition to losses in manpower and equipment on other fronts, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to up to 345 soldiers, two tanks, eight armored combat vehicles, 19 vehicles, a field artillery piece and an electronic warfare station," the ministry said in a statement.
This is in addition to up to 155 Ukrainian soldiers eliminated over the past day by Russia's Battlegroup Sever, up to 285 by Battlegroup Vostok, up to 160 by Battlegroup Zapad battlegroup, over 185 by Battlegroup Yug, and over 55 by Battlegroup Dnepr, the ministry said.