The Russian military is intensifying its offensive in eastern and southern Ukraine, and claims to have taken control of some parts of the regions.

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that its air force destroyed arms depots and surface-to-air missile systems in and near Slovyansk in the Donetsk region.

The ministry also said its troops have seized much of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as the entire Kherson region in the south.

Ministry officials claimed that parts of the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Mykolaiv regions are also under Russian control.

They added that peace has been established in these areas.

Also on Tuesday, explosions destroyed two radio masts and hit a military facility in Transdniestria, a pro-Russian breakaway region in Ukraine's neighbor Moldova.

Russian media quoted local authorities as saying that the blasts were terrorist attacks.

The region has unilaterally declared independence and has hosted Russian troops.

Moldova's President Maia Sandu said after an emergency meeting of the country's security council that these escalation attempts stem from factions within the region that are pro-war and interested in destabilizing the situation.

Details of the explosions are unknown, but the Moldovan government has been wary after a senior Russian military officer said last week that full control of the south of Ukraine will improve access to Transdniestria.