Putin's 'peace': Kremlin leader orders army to continue campaign to conquer southern Ukraine, again refers to liberation of 'Novorossiya'

President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered his army to continue the campaign to capture the Zaporozhye region in southern Ukraine and liberate “Novorossiya”, after a Russian commander said Moscow's forces were 15 kilometers from the region's largest city, while Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to him that Russian forces were leading the offensive along almost the entire line of contact, Reuters and Tass reported.

Vladimir Putin made this request to the army a day after he discussed with US President Donald Trump about the prospects of a peace agreement in Ukraine, notes News.ro. He spoke during a meeting convened in the Kremlin with senior military commanders and with Andrei Belousov, the Minister of Defense, the statements being broadcast on television.

Colonel General Mihail Teplinski, the commander of the Russian military group Dnieper, told Putin that Russian forces were closing in on the city of Zaporozhye, which had a population of more than 700,000 before the war.

The wider Zaporizhia region – of which Moscow controls about 75% – is one of four Ukrainian provinces Putin has claimed as part of Russia in 2022, a move denounced by Kiev and many Western countries as an illegal land grab.

“The (Russian) front-line units are located about 15 kilometers from the southern outskirts of the city of Zaporizhia,” Teplinski told Putin, who replied: “We understand and know that the enemy right in front of you has been preparing its defense for many years and we know how difficult the situation is there. However, you manage to carry out your tasks.”

The head of the Kremlin went on to tell Teplinski that he wanted even more. “In the near future, it is necessary to continue the offensive, together with the group from the east, to liberate Zaporozhye,” Putin said.

Gerasimov reports to him that the offensive is taking place along almost the entire front line

General Valeri Gherasimov, the head of Russia's General Staff, had previously told Putin that Moscow's forces were advancing along almost the entire front line, while Kiev's forces were concentrating on defense and trying to counterattack.

Gerasimov reported that Russian forces captured an area of ​​6,640 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2025, including 334 villages, and that the territorial advances recorded in December were the fastest this year.

“The troops of the united group are carrying out an offensive practically along the entire front line. The military units and detachments, defeating the enemy, are successfully advancing into the depths of his defense,” he said in the report to the supreme commander, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Reuters says it could not independently verify reports from the battlefield.

Putin again talks about the liberation of “Novorossiya”

The Russian agency Tass reports, for its part, that Vladimir Putin has given instructions, in particular, to continue carrying out the tasks of the “special operation” in accordance with the plans and projects of the General Staff – which would suggest that Putin has no truce and no peace agreement in mind with Ukraine, despite the efforts made in this regard by President Donald Trump, who promotes himself as a peace mediator.

Thus, according to TASS, Putin gave instructions that in 2026 “work to expand the security zone” along the border between Russia and Ukraine should be continued.

The enemy's attempts to prevent the Russian army in Kupiansk must be stopped, the Kremlin leader also declared.

Putin also gave instructions to continue carrying out the tasks of the “special operation” in accordance with the plans and projects of the General Staff.

The “Vostok” and “Dnipro” groups must continue the offensive to liberate the city of Zaporozhye, he said, while the Russian armed forces carry out the tasks of “liberating” Donbass and Novorossiya in stages and “according to the plan”, Putin said, using the imperialist term that includes the Ukrainian territory from the southeast to the mouth of the Danube, including Odesa.