RUSSIAN troops conquered two more Ukrainian villages in Donetsk today as President Vladimir Putin gave a four-hour press conference in Moscow assessing the events of the year.

Novyi Komar and Zelinivka were reported to have fallen to an accelerating Russian advance.

Speaking in Moscow, Mr Putin challenged the United States to a “missile duel” in which a designated target would be defended by US air defence systems and Russia would prove its new Oreshnik missile can punch through them all.

He acknowledged security failures in having failed to prevent Ukraine’s assassination of top Russian general Igor Kirillov, but denied he had been defeated in Syria, saying Russian intervention from 2015 had prevented a “terrorist” victory and staying tight-lipped about his attitude to the new authorities. 

Russia has two military bases in the Middle Eastern country. Mr Putin did say Russia’s air force had evacuated 4,000 Iranian troops from Syria.

Claims and counter-claims about the progress of the war continued, with South Korea claiming that hundreds of North Koreans have been killed fighting for Russia in Kursk, a claim backed by Nato powers.

North Korea denies having sent any troops to Russia’s aid, while Russia has declined to comment on the claim, which so far rests entirely on the testimony of US-allied governments and was used to justify approving Ukraine’s use of long-range US, British and French missiles to attack Russian territory. 

Ukrainian troops in Kursk interviewed by the BBC earlier this month expressed scepticism, saying they had never seen a Korean in the field. One, named as Pavlo, remarked: “It’s very difficult to find a Korean in the dark Kursk forest... especially if he’s not here.”