Putin Praises Troops After Reported Capture of Gulaypole (Video )

Dec 28, 2025 at 08:13 AM

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Lanka Leader

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated the military on what Moscow says is the capture of Gulaypole, a strategic town in Ukraine’s Zaporozhye Region. Speaking to senior commanders during a visit to a command post on Saturday, Putin described the development as an important result that could enable further advances in the area.

Earlier, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that its forces had taken control of a fortified Ukrainian position centered on the town. The ministry released video footage it said showed Russian units advancing through Gulaypole and raising national flags at several locations. According to the ministry, troops secured more than 76 square kilometers and cleared thousands of buildings, while inflicting significant losses on Ukrainian forces and destroying military equipment.

Ukrainian officials have disputed claims that the town has been lost, while acknowledging that fighting in the area remains intense.

During the meeting, military leaders also briefed Putin on the completion of what they described as cleanup operations in the city of Dmitrov (known in Ukraine as Mirnograd) in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Russian forces previously reported encircling Ukrainian units there after taking nearby Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk). Putin called the developments an important step toward what Moscow describes as the full liberation of the region.

Russian forces have maintained an offensive across several fronts in recent months, reporting the capture of multiple settlements in eastern and southern Ukraine, including areas in the Donetsk, Kharkov, Sumy, and Dnepropetrovsk regions. Earlier this month, the Defense Ministry also announced the capture of Seversk in the Donetsk People’s Republic.