Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Friday that his military will retaliate to a series of Ukrainian attacks on his nation, as Russians cast their presidential votes.

During a televised meeting with his security council, the president vowed that such attacks "do not and will not go unpunished," expressing his certainty that the "Russian people will respond with great unity."

Putin said that the government in Kiev was attempting to attack populated areas and undertake other criminal acts to interrupt voting during the presidential election in Russia.

"The presidential election started. In order to disrupt the voting process, to intimidate people at least in the border regions, the Kiev regime has conceived and is trying to carry out a number of criminal actions."

He vowed that all who have been subjected to such attacks will receive support and noted that Kiev's efforts are intended to "disrupt the voting process, to intimidate people at least in the border regions."

Touching on Ukraine's failures, he expressed the belief that Ukraine's leadership was attempting to divert attention away from the fact that it was performing horribly on the battlefield and was "begging for money and all kinds of handouts in a humiliating way."

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He added that the Ukrainians were failing horribly and retracting with massive casualties.

Putin cited on Friday that Ukraine's latest effort to cross into Russia's Belgorod and Kursk areas involved almost 2,500 servicemen, 35 tanks, and perhaps 40 armored vehicles.

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Detailing that there were 4 sabotage assaults in the Belgorod region and another in Kursk, Putin explained that "The forces and means used by the enemy amounted to over 2,500 Ukrainian troops, 35 tanks, about 40 armored vehicles."

The Russian President further added that Russia's air defense eliminates 95% of Ukrainian rockets.

Ukraine loses hundreds of soldiers, equipment, in border-cross attempt

The Russian Defense Ministry revealed on Tuesday that in an attempt to cross Russian borders, the Ukrainian army lost 234 fighters and a substantial amount of military equipment, including seven tanks and three infantry fighting vehicles. 

In a statement, the ministry said "The enemy lost 234 militants killed, seven tanks, three US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and two armored personnel carriers. There were no violations of the state border," noting that the attack was confronted on all three different directions where Ukraine tried to infiltrate. 

5 minute Belgorod trip ended with losses.

Wonder if the boys near Avdeevka wish they had that tank instead of being wasted in the PR nightmare. pic.twitter.com/pBmCYu3TSk

— ayden (@squatsons) March 12, 2024

In detail, the Russian ministry said that up to 60 Ukrainian fighters were killed and four pickups were destroyed in the Kharkiv region. Along the Ukrainian border, 100 Ukrainian troops were killed and five military tanks were destroyed. Near Nekhoteevka, in Russian Belgorod, 45 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two tanks were destroyed. 

How fragile are Ukraine's defense lines?

NewsWeek reported earlier, citing military sources, that the recent capture of Avdiivka has been followed by the continuous expansion of Russian control along the frontlines.

According to the source, Ukrainian forces are "both outmanned and outgunned along the front." The recent fall of Avdiivka was in part blamed on ammunition shortages.

Since then, Russia's expansion has been "incremental" and will likely increase in the short term as long as aid remains stalled in the West. 

According to the arms-maker-funded Institute for the Study of War, the victory in the battle of Avdiivka has opened new avenues for land control in surrounding areas, and Russian forces are working rapidly to increase their presence along the frontlines before Ukrainian forces rebuild a more cohesive defense line. 

Last week, Dmytro Lykhovyi, spokesman for the Ukrainian Tavriisk Group of Forces, announced that his troops had pulled back from Stepove, approximately eight miles north of Avdiivka. Russian troops, on the other hand, declared control of Tonenke to the south, along with other nearby territories.