Putin touts military gains over Ukraine | NHK WORLD

Putin touts military gains over Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country has seized control of about 6,500 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory this year.

Putin made the announcement on Friday when he visited a command post of Russian forces and met the General Staff leadership, including Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

The president said, "On the whole, since the beginning of this year, about 6,500 square kilometers of territory and 310 settlements have been liberated."

He appeared to emphasize it is Russia that holds the upper hand on the battlefield in an attempt to impress US President Donald Trump, who is trying to mediate peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

Referring to a security zone that Russian forces are establishing in the adjacent territory of Ukraine, Putin said that Russia's goal is to ensure the absolute security of its border regions for the future.

He added, "We do not intend to make this a subject of potential peace negotiations with Ukraine."

Also on Friday, officials in the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa wrote on social media that four people were injured when Russian attacks on private homes, an energy facility and others caused large-scale fires.