Putin's year-end war review: Russia captured over 300 Ukraine towns in 2025; west stunned?

Gerasimov tells Putin that Russian forces are advancing along almost the entire front, claiming more than 700 square kilometers and 32 settlements captured in December and 6,640 square kilometers with 334 settlements over the year, while detailing gains from Sumy and Kharkiv down through Donetsk, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia as part of ongoing efforts to “liberate” those regions; Putin echoes the upbeat assessment, highlighting the reported capture of Krasnoarmiisk, Dimitrov, and Huliaipole and saying the Center and Eastern groupings are pushing toward the Donetsk border and advancing at “a good pace” toward Zaporizhzhia.