Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Tuesday that Russian troops will have occupied nearly 5,000 square kilometers of territory in Ukraine by 2025 and “retain full strategic initiative” on the front.
Putin stated that Russia has advanced nearly 5,000 square kilometers in Ukraine in a year
Speaking at a meeting with senior military commanders, Putin stated that the Ukrainian army is retreating in all directions, despite attempts to counterattack and strike Russian territory.
“Today, the Russian Armed Forces fully control the strategic initiative,” Putin said at a meeting in the country’s northwestern region, according to a transcript published by the Kremlin.
“This year, we have liberated nearly 4,900 square kilometers and **212 populated areas.”
He added that Kyiv forces are “retreating along the entire line of contact, despite fierce resistance.”
Reports from both sides on the situation on the front
On Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the capture of two more settlements along the front line, which, according to Ukrainian command, extends for over 1,250 kilometers.
The Ukrainian side claims that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have achieved success in the Dobropillya region (Donetsk Oblast) and have regained control over parts of the Sumy Oblast where Russian units had previously operated.
Comments from the Russian General Staff
Chief of the General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, stated that Russian troops are “advancing in virtually all directions,” while the Ukrainian army is focused on slowing the advance.
He stated that the main operations are concentrated in the Donetsk Oblast—in the areas of Seversk and Kostiantynivka—as well as in the northeast, where fighting is underway for Kupyansk. In addition, Russian units are advancing south in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts and forming buffer zones in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
Putin: The operation’s goals remain unchanged
Concluding his speech, Putin recalled that the goals of the “special military operation” have remained the same since February 2022—the “demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the U.S. decision to supply Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would trigger a “new escalation” and effectively destroy relations between Moscow and Washington.
“This would mean the collapse of our relations — or at least the end of the positive trends that have recently appeared,” Putin said in a video published by state journalist Pavel Zarubin.
