Russian President Vladimir Putin said that calls from Western countries to prepare for a large-scale military conflict with Russia are hysteria based on false claims, „Reuters“ reported, quoted by BTA.
According to him, Russia is determined to achieve its goals in Ukraine, whether through diplomatic means or through military action. He stressed that Moscow will continue its efforts to expand the so-called „security zone“ on Ukrainian territory.
„First of all, the tasks of the special military operation will be unconditionally implemented. Our preferred option is to do this through diplomacy and eliminate the root causes of the conflict,“ Putin said. He added that if Kiev and its external allies refuse meaningful negotiations, Russia will seek to achieve its goals by military means, including through the gradual creation and expansion of a security zone.
Moscow currently controls Crimea, approximately 90% of Donbas, as well as about three-quarters of the territories of Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. In addition, Russian forces are also located in parts of Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Mykolaiv regions.
The Russian president's statements are interpreted as an indication that the Kremlin may pursue new territorial gains in certain areas of the front.
Putin stressed that the Russian army is advancing on all fronts. At the same time, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov acknowledged that Ukrainian forces are trying to regain control of the northeastern city of Kupyansk, but according to him, these attempts have not yielded results so far.
Earlier today, the Ukrainian side announced that it had regained control over about 90% of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region, although earlier this month Russia announced that it held the city. During the Ukrainian counteroffensive in September 2022, Kupyansk again came under Ukrainian control.
At a meeting with representatives of the Russian defense sector, Belousov also said that in 2025 Russia had captured a third more Ukrainian territory compared to 2024.
The information could not be independently confirmed by “Reuters“.