Putin Says Russia is Getting Closer to Achieving Primary Goals in Ukraine

People watch the live broadcast of Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual televised year-end press conference and phone-in, in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict at a cultural center in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russian forces were moving towards achieving their primary goals on the battlefield in Ukraine and were taking control of significant territory every day.
Fielding questions at his annual phone-in with Russians, Putin said Russian forces were advancing along the entire battle front, Reuters reported.
"I must say that the situation is changing dramatically... There is movement along the entire front line. Every day," he said.
Military analysts say Russia is advancing in eastern Ukraine at the fastest pace since 2022.
"Our fighters are reclaiming territory by the square kilometer every day," Putin said.
"The fighting is difficult, so it is difficult and pointless to guess what lies ahead... (but) we are moving, as you said, towards solving our primary tasks, which we outlined at the beginning of the special military operation."
Discussing the continued presence of Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, Putin said they would definitely be forced out, but declined to say exactly when that would happen.