MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. During a meeting in the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian military commanders discussed the current situation on the frontline and near-term plans for the special military operation.
TASS has gathered key information about the event.
Putin’s instructions
- Putin instructed to continue the effort on the expansion of the security belt on the border between Russia and Ukraine in 2026.
- The adversary’s attempts to hamper the Russian military in Kupyansk must be thwarted, Putin said.
- Putin also instructed to continue fulfilling special operation’s objectives in accordance with the General Staff’s plans.
- The East and Dnepr battlegroups should continue their offensive to liberate the city of Zaporozhye.
Putin’s remarks on situation in special operation zone
- The Russian armed forces are fulfilling their tasks to liberate Donbass and Novorossia in a step-by-step fashion in accordance with the plan, Putin said.
- Russian forces are successfully moving forward, breaking through the enemy’s defenses, while Ukrainian armed groups are retreating along the entire frontline.
- The Russian leader sees possibility for full liberation of the entire territory of Donbass.
- After liberating Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov, Russia’s Battlegroup Center is stepping up its offensive towards the borders of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
- Battlegroup East has breached the Ukrainian army’s defenses and is developing an offensive towards the city of Zaporozhye.
- Putin commended successful operations of the Russian armed forces in the Krasny Liman direction.
- Kiev troops, blocked near the Oskol River, are shrinking day by day.
- The liberation of Seversk makes it possible to advance across the entire agglomeration of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.
- Ukraine has been preparing for the defense of Zaporozhye for many years, but the Russian army is up to the challenge and is making headway there.
Chief of General Staff’s report
- Russian troops are advancing along the entire engagement line in the special military operation area, Chief of Russia’s General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov reported.
- Russian troops liberated 334 settlements over the year in the special military operation in Ukraine.
- Over 700 sq. km of territory and 32 settlements have already been liberated in December.
- Russian troops have concluded the liberation of the settlement of Dibrova in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Boguslavka in the Kharkov Region.
- Russian troops are actively advancing in the town of Krasny Liman, continuing their efforts to eliminate the Ukrainian army’s units.
- Russian troops established control over the southeastern part of Grishino settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
- Russian forces continue to eliminate the enemy east of Kupyansk as the territory controlled by the encircled group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been reduced by more than two times.
- About a half of Novopavlovka settlement has already been liberated.
- Battlegroup Dnieper troops stage an offensive in direction of the city of Zaporozhye; street fighting is underway in Orekhovo.
- Lukyanovskoye settlement was liberated.
Belousov’s statements
- Russian troops achieved their highest rate of advance in a year in the area of the special military operation in December, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said.
Report by Battlegroup North’s commander
Russia's battlegroup North is expanding the security zone in the border area, and has already advanced 60 km deep into the Sumy Region, commander of the group Colonel-General Yevgeny Nikiforov reported.
Servicemen of Russia’s Battlegroup North have taken control of over 900 square kilometers of land in the Sumy and Kharkov Regions.
Russian troops are less than 20 km left from the settlement of Sumy in the Sumy Region.
Report by Battlegroup West’s commander
- Russian forces have cut the main supply routes for Ukrainian armed groups near Krasny Liman, the Battlegroup West's Commander Sergey Kuzovlev reported.
- Assault units of the 25th Army are advancing west, expanding their control zone along the Seversky Donets River.
- The Ukrainian army will have no remaining presence in the area of the Podoly village and Kupyansk-Uzlovoi by January-February.
Report by Battlegroup South’s commander
- Russian troops are conducting mopping-up operations in northeastern districts of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, and up to 45% of the town is under the Russian control, Battlegroup South Commander Lieutenant General Sergey Medvedev reported
Report by Battlegroup Dnepr’s commander
- Servicemen of Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr have liberated five settlements in the Zaporozhye Region in two months, the battlegroup Commander Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky reported.
- Battlegroup Dnepr’s advance units are now 15 kilometers from southern suburbs of the city of Zaporozhye.