Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Monday that Ukrainian armed forces units are retreating everywhere along the entire contact line. According to Sputnik News, the head of state spoke during a meeting with senior military commanders. Meanwhile, the Russian General Staff asserted that Kiev is no longer conducting offensive operations, according to another Russian media outlet, Actualidad RT. "In total, 6,640 square kilometers of territory and 334 settlements have come under our control this year," specified Commander-in-Chief Valery Gerasimov. Meanwhile, the European press on Monday headlined with a Russian warning that troops from European countries in Ukraine could become military targets. The Russian army took control of the village of Dibrova in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, reported the Ministry of Defense in Moscow on Monday. Russian troops completed the capture of Dibrova following active combat operations and nighttime attacks, the ministry said in a statement. "Operational tactical aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops, and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces launched attacks on temporary deployment points of Ukrainian military formations and foreign mercenaries in 153 locations," the ministry added. The Ukrainian side did not comment on Russia's claim, notes Xinhua, whose information reached the newsroom of the Argentine News Agency. The words of Putin and the assessment of Commander Valery Gerasimov: "The troops of the advanced groups are advancing confidently, breaking through the enemy's defenses."
