MOSCOW, June 18. /TASS/. Russian forces have made serious gains in the Kharkov area and are now waiting for the enemy’s next step, said Major General Apty Alaudinov, a deputy chief at the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces.
"The Russian Defense Ministry, all in all, really made very serious gains. As it happens, quite a serious territory was liberated," he said on Rossiya-1 television.
Alaudinov, who also commands the Akhmat special force unit, said the enemy had to redeploy much troops to the Kharkov area.
"They even pulled everyone out of the Kiev Region and redeployed them to this area," he said.
"We are now waiting for our enemy’s next step, as they are trying to assemble certain forces and make some decisive step," the officer went on to say.
Alaudinov said he believes this will be a decisive battle for Russia, in which it will destroy the remaining enemy assets.
"After that, as I said earlier, we will be wrapping up the special military operation this year, bringing it to an end," he said.