Russian President Vladimir Putin. file. |Photo credit: AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday (December 16, 2024) that Russian forces have gained the upper hand along all fronts in Ukraine and are accelerating their advance.
Putin told military commanders in a video conference that “Russian forces firmly hold the strategic lead along the entire line of contact.”
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He said Russian forces had captured 189 Ukrainian settlements this year and, using Moscow’s official language for the operation, called 2024 “a milestone year in achieving the goals of special military operations.”
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, speaking after Putin at the same meeting, said Russian troops had captured about 4,500 square kilometers. This year, the area of Ukrainian territory increased by about 30 square kilometers. One day.
He said Ukraine controlled less than 1% of the eastern Lugansk region and about 25-30% of the Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions.
Russia has claimed to annex all four countries in 2022, even though it does not have full control of any of them.
The army has advanced throughout the Donetsk region throughout the year, and on Monday claimed to have captured another small village there.
issued – December 16, 2024 10:35 PM IST
