Putin hails army troops for liberating strategic town in Ukraine

(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the military on liberating Gulaypole, a key town in Ukraine’s Zaporozhye Region, during a visit to a command post on Saturday. He called the capture “an important result” that paves the way for further advances in the area.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that troops secured a large fortified zone around the town, controlling more than 76 square kilometers and clearing over 7,000 buildings. A video released by the ministry shows Russian forces shelling Ukrainian positions, storming buildings, and posing with national flags across Gulaypole.

Ukrainian forces reportedly suffered heavy losses, including dozens of pieces of heavy equipment and other vehicles. Kiev disputes the town’s capture but admitted the situation is challenging.

During the meeting, Putin was briefed on completed mop-up operations in Dmitrov (Mirnograd) in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), following the liberation of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk). The president described these developments as crucial steps toward the “full liberation of the DPR.”

Russian forces have been on an extended offensive, capturing multiple settlements in Zaporozhye, Donetsk, Kharkov, Sumy, and Dnepropetrovsk regions, including the major logistics hubs of Krasnoarmeysk and Kupyansk, and the former stronghold of Seversk in the DPR.

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