Russia announces increase in advance of its armed forces inside Ukraine

Moscow, October 16 (KUNA) -- The Russian presidency (the Kremlin) announced on Friday an acceleration in the advance of its armed forces inside Ukraine, noting that they have taken control of 6,500 square kilometers and 310 towns since the beginning of this year, marking a faster pace of progress along the front lines. In a statement regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the joint forces command center’s auxiliary headquarters, the presidency said that the Luhansk People’s Republic is now fully under the control of the Russian armed forces. It added that the objective of the Russian armed forces is to ensure the absolute security of the country’s borders, emphasizing that Russia continues to establish a security zone and that this issue will not be subject to discussion in any potential negotiations with Ukraine. The presidency noted that President Putin had requested a report from Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, on the situation in the area Moscow refers to as the “special military operation.” During his meeting with military leaders, Putin also called for examining mechanisms to supply the forces to ensure the successful achievement of the operation’s objectives. It was clarified that Russian forces continue to target Ukraine’s military-industrial facilities in response to Kyiv’s strikes on factories and the energy complex in Russia. These developments come amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which has been raging since February 2022, with military operations continuing and divergent positions on a political settlement, even as diplomatic efforts persist to resume negotiations between the two countries under U.S. mediation. (End) D.A.N./R.J.