During a meeting with the leadership of Russia’s Ministry of Defense and General Staff, President Vladimir Putin stated that the decisions made in February 2022 — referring to the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine — were, in his words, “correct and timely.” Russian state media reported the remarks.
Putin also claimed that the strategic initiative on the front line “belongs to Russia” and that Russian forces are allegedly “advancing while the enemy is retreating along the entire line of contact.”
He reiterated that Russia “must achieve all objectives of the special military operation” — the Kremlin’s term for its full-scale war against Ukraine — and accused Kyiv of “striking civilian targets in Russia.”
Putin instructed military leadership to “ensure the security of all infrastructure, including energy facilities,” and asserted that Russia’s defense industry is supposedly operating ahead of schedule.
He also conveyed “words of gratitude” to Russian troops on the front line for their “courage and heroism.”