MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. The Russian army is gaining steam while Ukraine's is falling apart at the seams, President Vladimir Putin told an expanded board meeting of the Defense Ministry.

"The number of deserters [in Ukraine] is in the hundreds of thousands at this point. This is a sure sign of degradation. Our armed forces are gaining steam. That’s not to say that we don’t have work to do, and we will work," the Russian leader said.

He thanked the Defense Ministry for keeping Russia strong on the battlefield and beyond.