(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin has asserted that Ukraine’s entire sector-specific frontline in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region is on the verge of disintegration after defensive fortifications were outmaneuvered by a swift Russian push.

Speaking on Thursday at a press briefing in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, following a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)—a regional bloc uniting multiple former Soviet states—Putin commented on developments in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

He confirmed the rapid movement toward the Ukrainian-controlled town of Gulyaypole, explaining that the Vostok (East) formation had penetrated Ukrainian defenses along the boundary between Russian territory and Ukraine’s Dnepropetrovsk Region.

According to Putin, “The forces of the ‘East’ group are effectively bypassing the entire Ukrainian fortified line from the north. Our ‘Dniepr’ grouping faces them on one side, while the ‘Vostok’ group is encircling them from the north. It could lead to a collapse of the front in this sector,” highlighting the potentially decisive nature of the maneuver.

He added that the newest territorial gains have not gone unnoticed in Western nations, “who realize the potential consequences” of the evolving circumstances.

These actors, he said, are advocating for a swift resolution to the hostilities before the frontline “folds” and the Ukrainian armed forces lose all operational effectiveness.

Putin concluded by quoting their appeals: “‘That’s enough! Preserve the core of the armed forces and your statehood. That’s what we need to think about,’ say those who support such a stance.”

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