The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General Valery Gerasimov, presented a detailed report to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the latest developments in the military operation in Ukraine.
In his report, Gerasimov reviewed the progress of Russian forces on the ground, the results of operations during the month of June, and his assessment of the military situation on various fronts.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Putin held a meeting with Gerasimov, which was dedicated to assessing the current situation in the area of the special military operation and discussing the latest results of the combat operations, noting that the main report during the meeting was presented by the Chief of the General Staff.
Field progress during June
Gerasimov informed the Russian president that during the month of June, Russian forces managed to take control of 29 towns and liberate 636 square kilometers of territory, stressing that operations are continuing to achieve their goals in the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
He added that all formations of the joint Russian forces group are continuing their offensive operations on various battlefronts.
Advances in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk
The Chief of Staff explained that the Vostok Group (East) forces maintain the initiative and are steadily advancing in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, in parallel with the continued establishment of a security strip within the Dnipropetrovsk region.
He noted that the group's forces are advancing on a broad front in the eastern part of Zaporizhzhia province towards the west.
He also announced that the advanced units of the "Dnepr" group were only 9 kilometers away from the southern outskirts of the city of Zaporizhzhia, confirming the acceleration of offensive operations in this axis.
Donetsk axis
Gerasimov reported that during June, the forces of the "Center" (Central) group liberated the towns of Kutuzovka, Vasilievka and Novy Donbas, while the advancing units entered the towns of Dobropolje and Anovka.
He added that fighting is still ongoing in the areas of Beletsk, Shevchenko, Sergeyevka and Krasnoyarsk.
It was also announced that the Russian army had moved the front line 8.5 kilometers away from the outskirts of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk), while continuing to advance north of the city, while formations of the Third Army took control of four additional towns during June as they advanced towards Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.
He also announced the complete liberation of the city of Krasny Liman, describing the city as an important administrative center and a major railway hub, giving it strategic importance in future operations.
Operations in Kharkiv and Sumy
Gerasimov noted that the Sever (North) group continues to advance on several axes, expanding the security zone in the border areas within the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
He confirmed progress in the direction of the city of Sumy and the Beli Kolodze area in Kharkiv, noting that the highest rates of progress for Russian forces were achieved within the operational scope of the "Sever" and "Vostok" groups.
Battles of Kobyansk
On the Kobyansk axis, the Chief of Staff said that the Ukrainian command had deployed 11 additional battalions, including units from two marine brigades, in an attempt to regain lost positions within the city and force Russian forces to withdraw to the eastern bank of the Oskol River.
He confirmed that all attempts had failed, and that Ukrainian forces had suffered heavy losses.
According to Gerasimov, the number of Ukrainian troops killed on this front since May 10 has reached about 2,500 soldiers, including more than 550 marines, in addition to the destruction of 772 pieces of weapons and military equipment.
He added that the Zapad (West) forces continue to eliminate Ukrainian units east of the Oskol River, especially in the areas south of Borovaya, where Russian forces have taken control of four new towns.
Repelling Ukrainian attacks in Zaporizhzhia
Gerasimov stated that the Ukrainian military command attempted to halt the Russian advance and regain control of the Primorskoye and Stepnohorsk districts in Zaporizhzhia, employing special operations forces, military intelligence, and foreign mercenaries. He asserted that all Ukrainian attacks were repelled.
Intense strikes against Ukrainian military infrastructure
Gerasimov spoke about the continuation of large-scale Russian strikes against military-industrial complex facilities and energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
He explained that during the past June, Russian forces carried out five large-scale strikes that hit 55 military, industrial and energy facilities.
The objectives, according to the report, included:
34 enterprises belonging to the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.
Facilities for the production of "Flamingo" rockets.
Factories for the production of long- and medium-range drones.
Facilities for the production of electronic warfare equipment.
Robotic systems factories.
10 Ukrainian military airfields.
He stressed that the strikes had significantly reduced Ukraine’s ability to produce long-range weapons, including cruise and ballistic missiles.
Moscow: Kyiv is increasingly dependent on the West
Gerasimov noted that Kyiv is trying to compensate for the lack of field achievements through a media campaign aimed at convincing Western supporters that it has regained the initiative, pointing out that Ukrainian authorities describe the areas controlled by Russian forces as a "gray zone" rather than acknowledging their loss.
He added that the recent Russian strikes have increased Ukraine's dependence on Western supplies of military components, explosives and fuel, stressing that this dependence is "increasing critically."
Continuation of military operations
The Chief of Staff confirmed that Russian forces will continue to carry out the tasks assigned to them to liberate the Donbas region and the Novorossiya region in accordance with the approved plan.
He also announced that the 4th Brigade, which participated in the capture of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, will be reorganized into a full military division during 2026.
