“Continue now”: Putin sees his opportunity after success in Avdiivka and laughs about withdrawal of Ukrainian troops | Abroad

Putin also laughed at the way the Ukrainian military withdrew from the strategic city of Avdiivka on Saturday. “The Ukrainian armed forces ordered the withdrawal of the forces when they were already on their way,” he said. According to the president, it was a “chaotic flight”.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced during the meeting that the Russians are continuing their offensive and are advancing westward. Shoigu said that Russia has now captured the village of Krynky. Krynky served as a bridgehead, an overpowered area on the enemy side from which friendly operations could be continued. Ukraine had built that bridgehead with great difficulty in the summer of 2023 in the south, on the occupied bank of the Dnieper.

“Krynky has been evacuated, we have de facto control over the entire bank,” Shoigu told Putin.

Putin also responded to reports from the United States that Russia is working on nuclear weapons that could be deployed in space. That is not the case, claims the Russian president.

Several American media reported last Wednesday, citing a source in the intelligence services, that Moscow was planning to station a nuclear weapon in space to hit satellites. Moscow quickly denounced the reports, calling them “malicious and unfounded.” On Tuesday, Putin strongly denied the accusations: “We have always been and always will be categorically opposed to the use of nuclear weapons in space,” the president said.

Shoigu also contradicted the reports and stated that they only served to frighten American representatives so that they could release more money to support Ukraine in the fight against Russia.