Putin says Russia has initiative across entire Ukraine front

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday his troops had the upper hand across the entire front line in Ukraine and were accelerating their advance.

"Russian troops are firmly holding the strategic initiative along the entire line of contact," Putin told his military generals in a televised meeting.

He said Russia's army had seized 189 Ukrainian settlements this year and called 2024 a "landmark year in the achievement of the goals of the special military operation," using Moscow's official language for its campaign.

Speaking after Putin at the same meeting, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said Russia's troops had seized almost 4,500 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory this year and were now gaining around 30 square kilometers a day.

He said Ukraine controlled less than one percent of the eastern Lugansk region, and around 25-30 percent of the Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Russia claimed in 2022 to annex all four, despite not having full control over any of them.

Its troops have been advancing across the Donetsk region throughout the year, claiming on Monday to have captured another small village there.