Putin says Russia is advancing in Ukraine and rules out new mobilisation

Moscow, Russia. President Vladimir Putin said Russia was winning the war in Ukraine, claimed its advances were accelerating and said Moscow could not negotiate with what he described as Ukraine’s “terrorist” leadership.

He acknowledged that Ukrainian attacks inside Russia had caused real damage and said drones posed a particular challenge.

Battlefield claims

Putin said Russian forces were advancing and that he had “no doubt the enemy will crumble”, though he declined to say when this would happen.

He said Russian troops captured 270 square kilometres of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine in August. He also said two large groups of Ukrainian troops were surrounded, one comprising between 4,500 and 4,800 personnel and another of up to 2,000. Reuters could not independently verify the assertions.

Mobilisation and talks

Putin dismissed rumours that Russia would be forced to order a new military mobilisation as “utter nonsense”.

Four and a half years into the war, Russia controls about one fifth of Ukraine. US-mediated peace talks broke off in February after the United States and Israel went to war with Iran.

Opinion polls have indicated growing war fatigue in Russia, while influential voices have warned about pressure on the country’s economy.