Putin says advance of Russian forces into Ukraine goes as planned

President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday (15) that Russian forces were improving their positions every day along the front in Ukraine, in all directions, and that the advance was proceeding as planned.

Russia has pushed Ukrainian forces back at several points in recent months despite hundreds of billions of dollars in aid from the United States and its allies.

Putin, in a Kremlin meeting with new Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and senior generals, said the work of the armed forces was “proceeding in accordance with the approved plan.” by the General Staff.

“The more effectively you work on the front line, the more chances we have of resolving this issue peacefully,” Putin told the generals. “That’s what we’ve always strived for, and I’ve always talked about it.”

Russian forces this month opened a new front in the Kharkiv region, home to Ukraine's second-largest city, forcing Ukraine to send soldiers from other parts of the front line.

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday it had taken control of two more settlements in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region and one in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.

Putin thanked Shoigu for his previous work as defense minister. He stated that “many things were not clear before the outbreak of hostilities” and said Shoigu would help him manage the military and security sections of the state.

Putin said he had appointed Belousov, who was dressed in a civilian suit, because of rising defense and security spending, which he said would amount to 8.7% of gross domestic product or slightly more. This is still below the Soviet level of 13% in the mid-1980s.

“It is certainly not 13%, as was the case in the Soviet Union, but it is still a solid amount, it is a great resource and we need to use it very carefully and efficiently,” Putin declared.