The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, noted this Friday that the complete "liberation" of Donetsk is among the next goals of the so-called "special military operation" in Ukraine, emphasizing that, according to his data, only about 2,750 kilometers would remain under the control of the forces of Kiev.
Putin has reiterated that the "liberation" of Donetsk continues to be "one of the main objectives" of the conflict and has considered that the arrival of Russian troops in the city of Dobropilia constitutes a "significant event" for the campaign, as it "opens a direct route to the border" of this territory.
In this same vein, he has highlighted that the "liberation" this Friday of the locality of Oleksievo-Druzhkivka, along with the renewed assault on Ukrainian positions in Druzhkivka and Kramatorsk, "creates the conditions to quickly finish the cleaning of the Donbas from the combat formations of the Kiev regime," according to the Russian leader.
"Currently, 2,748 square meters of territory in the Republic of Donetsk remain under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Just this year, you have placed under the control of the Armed Forces of Russia a little over 2,000 kilometers," Putin praised the Joint Group of Russian Forces, highlighting the progress made in the region.
On the other hand, the president has emphasized that, unlike Donetsk, where Ukraine retains "just over 10%" of the territory, and Zaporiyia, where it maintains "16.5%" of the region, the area of Lugansk "is completely" under Russian control, thus consolidating Moscow's presence in eastern Ukraine.
Putin has insisted that, in addition to expelling Ukrainian troops from what he considers Russian territory, it is essential to strengthen control over these areas to establish a zone of "absolute security" that prevents future aggressions, ruling out ceding them in a potential peace negotiation process.
"The task was not only to expel the enemy from our territory but also to create a security zone in the adjacent territories" and "this task is being carried out successfully," he stated, according to information disseminated by Russian news agencies.
ATTACKS ON UKRAINIAN ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE
Regarding the attacks on the Ukrainian energy industry, Putin has reiterated that the Russian offensives against this type of infrastructure respond to the military actions of Kiev against the fuel and energy industry of Russia, and he has positively assessed the results obtained so far.
Similarly, he has indicated that the Russian Armed Forces "must continue the massive and coordinated attacks" against military and industrial facilities in Ukraine, as well as against their logistical centers, maintaining pressure on the operational capacity of the Ukrainian Army.