Amid Ukraine’s Kursk Offensive, Putin Says Russia Gaining Momentum on Eastern Front

On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv’s forces in Donbas were facing ‘the most combat-focused Russian brigades.’

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at Lakhta Centre business tower in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on June 5, 2024. Sputnik/Valentina Pevtsova/Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 2 praised the pace of Russian advances in Donbas, despite an ongoing Ukrainian cross-border offensive—now in its fourth week—into Russia’s Kursk region.

“We haven’t been advancing at such a quick pace in Donbas for quite a while,” Putin said.