MOSCOW, Dec. 2 — Russian President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on Russian forces’ capture of Krasnoarmeysk in the Donetsk region and Volchansk in the Kharkov region, the Kremlin said in a statement on Monday.
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, announced the capture of Krasnoarmeysk and Volchansk, also detailing the results of the offensive operations in other areas, it said.
The successful actions of the Russian Armed Forces in the city of Krasnoarmeysk will ensure the implementation of the tasks set at the beginning of the special military operation, Putin was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
“This is an important direction, all of us understand how important it is and this will ensure the progressive implementation of all key tasks that are faced by us and were set at the beginning of the special military operation,” said Putin.
On Monday night, the Russian Defense Ministry released video footage from Krasnoarmeysk showing servicemen raising the Russian flag in the city’s main square, marking its capture.
So far, there is no acknowledgement that either place has fallen into Russian hands. The announcement came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Paris for talks with European leaders, and ahead of U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s upcoming meetings in Moscow to discuss a U.S.-backed plan for resolving the Ukraine crisis.
Following his talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and European leaders on Monday, Zelensky said Ukraine sought to end the conflict “in a dignified manner.”
He called for “solid” security guarantees, noting that the “territorial issue will be the most difficult” in future talks.
On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
Although “additional progress was made” on a revised peace plan to end the conflict, “there is more work to be done,” said Rubio after the meeting.
“Obviously, there’s another party involved here that will have to be a part of the equation.” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin will meet with Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss ending the conflict with Ukraine.
A U.S.-proposed 28-point “peace plan” was unveiled earlier this month. The plan was later revised during talks among the United States, Ukraine and Europe in Geneva, with the changes remaining unclear. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
