(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that Russia had gained control over close to 5,000 square kilometers of territory in Ukraine this year, as the conflict—now exceeding three and a half years—continues.

“This year, we liberated nearly 5,000 square kilometers, 4,900 to be specific, and 212 population centers. Our soldiers and officers played the decisive role in making that happen,” Putin stated during a meeting with senior military officials, including Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, in St. Petersburg on Tuesday evening.

Putin maintained that Russian forces currently hold the strategic advantage in the war, emphasizing that the defense sector is playing a “crucial role” in sustaining “successful operations.”

According to him, Ukrainian troops are retreating across much of the front line despite offering “persistent resistance.” He added, “Against this backdrop, in an attempt to show its Western sponsors at least some semblance of success, the Kyiv regime is trying to target civilian facilities deep inside our territory. This will not help it.”

The Russian president said the military’s main objective remains to protect Russian citizens and safeguard vital infrastructure, including key energy sites and other civilian facilities.

Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who was also present at the meeting, briefed Putin that the heaviest clashes were taking place in the Pokrovsk and Dnipropetrovsk directions. He reported that Russian troops had seized more than 200 square kilometers of land in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions since September 1.

Ukrainian officials have not yet issued a response to these claims, and independent verification remains challenging amid the ongoing hostilities.

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