Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an unannounced visit to a military command center on Sunday, where senior officers presented him with updates on what Moscow says are the latest advances in its campaign in eastern Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov informed Putin that Russian troops had assumed control of several key locations. According to Peskov, Gerasimov reported “on the liberation of the cities of Krasnoarmeysk in the DPR and Volchansk in the Kharkov region, as well as on the results of offensive operations by troops in other areas.”

Peskov added that the president was briefed on the situation inside Krasnoarmeysk following its reported takeover, as well as on operations to eliminate Ukrainian units that Moscow says are surrounded in the Krasnoarmeysk-Dimitrov zone. Additional updates included reports that the southern districts of Dimitrov (Myrnohrad) are now under Russian control.

Commanders from Russia’s Vostok (East) grouping also relayed information to Putin on the push toward the strategically placed town of Gulyai Pole in the Zaporozhye Region, where operations to seize the area have reportedly begun.

A Wider Battlefield Push

The latest briefings come amid a broader Russian offensive across multiple fronts. Independent battlefield monitors and Western media have noted intensified Russian pressure around Pokrovsk, with geolocated footage indicating advances deeper into the city’s center. Similar gains have been reported in Kharkiv Region, where Moscow now claims control of Volchansk, a border city whose capture strengthens Russia’s northern axis and gives its forces greater operational depth.

Russian forces have also expanded attacks along the Novopavlivka direction and pushed farther west of their traditional positions in Donetsk, taking advantage of what analysts describe as gaps in Ukraine’s air-defense and artillery capabilities after months of sustained Russian strikes.

Defense Ministry: Volchansk Capture Marks a Turning Point

Russia’s Defense Minister Andrei Belousov issued a separate statement praising forces involved in the battle for Volchansk. In his message to the units on the ground, he stated: “You have taken a significant step toward victory and achieving the goals of the special military operation.”

Belousov said the fall of Volchansk creates momentum for Russian units deployed across the frontline, claiming it “creates conditions for advancement of the entire group of troops.”

Peace Talks Remain Uncertain

The military developments coincide with renewed, but fragile, diplomatic efforts. US officials recently circulated a revised 19-point proposal aimed at restarting negotiations, and Kiev has held multiple rounds of discussions with Washington. American mediators describe the talks as progressing, while Ukrainian officials say remaining obstacles are “serious but not insurmountable.”

Still, the central dispute, territory, remains unresolved. Ukraine’s leadership maintains that the restoration of full territorial integrity is the core precondition for any sustainable peace. Moscow, meanwhile, signals no willingness to cede areas it now administers or has recently captured, viewing Western security guarantees for Kiev as unacceptable.

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