Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Saturday that Moscow will achieve its military objectives in Ukraine by force if Kyiv continues to reject a peaceful resolution. His remarks, carried by the state news agency TASS, followed a massive Russian drone and missile strike across Ukraine, an assault President Volodymyr Zelensky cited as evidence that Russia remains intent on prolonging the conflict nearly four years after its full-scale invasion.
The Kremlin reported that during a frontline inspection, military commanders informed Putin that Russian forces had seized control of several key towns, including Myrnohrad, Rodynske, and Artemivka in the Donetsk region, as well as Huliaipole and Stepnohirsk in Zaporizhzhia. Putin described the capture of Myrnohrad as a “serious step” toward the full occupation of Donetsk.
The Ukrainian General Staff quickly rejected these claims as disinformation, asserting that defensive operations are ongoing and that “fierce fighting” continues in Huliaipole and Stepnohirsk. While acknowledging a “difficult” situation and some Russian advancement within town limits, Ukrainian officials maintained that their forces still hold significant portions of these areas. Independent verification of these battlefield claims remains difficult due to restricted access and the rapidly shifting nature of the front lines.
The exchange of threats and conflicting territorial reports comes as President Zelensky traveled to Florida on Sunday to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. The meeting aims to discuss a potential resolution to the war, with Zelensky indicating that a joint peace plan with Washington is nearly finalized.
