Russians and Ukrainians are believed to be continuing intense battles in eastern Ukraine, while public sentiment in Russia toward the conflict seems to be changing.

Russia's defense ministry said on Wednesday that its forces have placed two settlements in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine under its control.

The Ukrainian military announced on Thursday that Russian forces continue shelling toward Bakhmut, one of Ukraine's strongholds in the region.

A US think tank, The Institute for the Study of War, said on Wednesday that Russian offensives around Bakhmut are "consuming a significant proportion of Russia's available combat power, potentially facilitating continued Ukrainian counteroffensives elsewhere."

A report from Russia suggests public opinion about the invasion of Ukraine is changing.

Independent Russian online media outlet Meduza reported on Wednesday that an opinion poll commissioned by the Kremlin in November showed 55 percent of Russians "favor peace talks with Ukraine," while only 25 percent are "in favor of continuing the war."

Meduza says it "gained access to the results of the poll," but did not disclose the specific subjects of the poll or its methods.

In a separate survey by an independent Russian polling organization in October, 57 percent of the respondents said they supported, or would probably support peace talks with Ukraine.

Experts say the results of the two surveys suggest changes in public sentiment in Russia after the administration of President Vladimir Putin started mobilizing reserves in September.

On Thursday, new legislation concerning those deemed "foreign agents," which practically means "spies," came into effect in Russia.

The US Institute for the Study of War said the step is "likely intended to crack down on increasing instances of domestic dissent about the Kremlin's conduct of the war."