The president of Russia, Vladimir Putinthanked the country’s military this Monday for their service in Ukraine and assured that the “liberation” of Donbasas well as the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia, are advancing according to the plan of the military operation in that country.
“The liberation of Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson is being carried out in stages, in accordance with the plan of the special military operation,” Putin said in a meeting with the military leadership, the second in two days and in which he welcomed the pace of the army’s offensive.
Around the World Newsletter
The head of the Kremlin stated that after taking the cities of Pokrovsk and Mirnograd, Russian forces eliminate the enemy troops that were surrounded in that area and simultaneously “develop an offensive in the direction of the state borders,” referring to the border of the annexed Donetsk region with Ukrainian territory.
YOU CAN SEE: Trump assures that Ukraine will have “strong” security guarantees in the peace plan to end the war
In this sense, he highlighted that the prospects for the conquest of the entire territory of Donbas are good.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, noted, for his part, that kyiv is not carrying out offensive actions in any of the sectors of the front.
“They have focused their efforts on strengthening their defenses and are trying to stop our advance through counterattacks in specific areas and the massive use of drones,” Gerasimov told Putin.
The Russian general assured that the army is also advancing in Zaporizhia, where its main objective is the regional capital of the same name.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold his annual year-end press conference in Moscow on December 19, 2025. (Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)
/
“The troops of the Dniepr group are advancing towards the city of Zaporizhzhia and have liberated the town of Lukianivske,” Gerasimov declared.
In addition, street fighting continues in the city of Orekhiv, an hour away from the city of Zaporizhzhia, he said.
“The liberation tasks of the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, as well as the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, will continue as planned,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the commander of the Dniepr group, Mikhail Teplinski, stated that Russian troops are now about 15 kilometers from the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia.
The head of the North group, Yevgeny Nikiforov, reported, for his part, the advances of the military in the Kharkov and Sumi regions, where Putin ordered the army to create a “safety zone”.
READ ALSO:
According to Nikiforov, the Russian army is currently less than 20 kilometers from the capital of Sumi.
“It is a very important task, as it guarantees the security of Russia’s border regions, and this work must undoubtedly continue in 2026,” said the Russian president about the border security zone.
Putin’s meeting with senior military officials takes place on the eve of his second phone call with the American president, donald trumpwhich will occur “very soon,” as confirmed this morning by the Kremlin.
Trump met with the Ukrainian leader on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyin Florida, after what both indicated progress towards a peace agreement, although without closing any pact and recognizing that “thorny issues” remain to be resolved.
