Visit to the Joint Force command post

The President was briefed in detail on the developments along the line of contact, particularly in the Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk directions.

It was noted that up to 5,000 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel are encircled in the Kupyansk direction, and 5,500 in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief was provided with a full update on the situation at the front.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrades,

During today's meeting, we will review the current situation in the area of the special military operation and developments across individual operational directions. The commanders of troop groups will report on the performance and coordination of their respective units.

In addition, this week the Russian Armed Forces conducted an exercise involving the strategic offensive forces, with combat training launches of all three components of the Russian strategic nuclear forces as well as tests of advanced weapons systems.

Let us get down to work. Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff, has the floor.

Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

The Joint Force troops continue to carry out their assigned tasks to liberate the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, in accordance with the objectives set for the special military operation.

Today, I would like to elaborate on two directions, the first one being the area of responsibility of the Centre group of forces. Formations and military units of the 2^nd and 51^st armies, advancing along converging axes, have completed the encirclement of the enemy in the Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov areas. A large group of Ukrainian Armed Forces, comprising 31 battalions, was blocked, including units from the 25^th Airborne, 79^th Airborne Assault, and 68^th Jaeger Brigades, as well as the 35^th and 38^th Marine Brigades, the 425^th Separate Assault Regiment, and the 153^rd and 155^th Mechanised Brigades.

Special recognition for performing their military tasks has been given to Russia's 30^th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade and the 439^th Motorised Rifle Regiment of the 2^nd Army, as well as the 9^th and 110^th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigades of the 51^st Army, and personnel of the Rubicon Advanced Unmanned Technologies Centre units.

The success of the operation to encircle the enemy was supported by comprehensive fire damage on AFU formations across the entire depth of their operational deployment, as well as isolating the combat zone to disrupt the enemy's supply lines.

At present, the Centre group's priority is the equally important task of destroying the encircled AFU group in the Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov agglomeration.

To be continued.