Russian President Vladimir Putin has held talks with those responsible for the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the Kremlin announced on Saturday, as Ukrainian territory is targeted by massive Russian bombardment.
“On Friday, the president spent the whole day at the headquarters of the forces involved in the special military operation” in Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement.
The Russian Head of State notably “held a meeting” there with the participation of the Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, and the Chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, and “had separate meetings with the commanders” of the various branches of the army involved in the operation, according to the same source.
“I would like to hear your proposals on our actions in the short and medium term,” said Mr. Putin, during the meeting, extracts from which were broadcast on Saturday by Russian public television.
The announcement comes as Ukraine was targeted on Friday by new Russian missile strikes that caused power cuts across the country, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Faced with a series of military setbacks this fall, Russia, which launched an offensive in Ukraine at the end of February, has opted since October for a tactic of massive strikes targeting Ukraine’s electricity networks and transformers.