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.
He added that Russian forces were “already bringing territories under control not by 200 to 300 meters but by square kilometers.”
Putin made the remarks while addressing university students in Kyzyl, the capital of Russia’s Siberian region of Tuva.
On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv’s forces in Donbas were facing “the most combat-focused Russian brigades.”
He added, however, that a Russian advance on the town of Pokrovsk, a key Ukrainian logistics hub in Donbas, had slackened over the previous 48 hours.
“In the Pokrovsk sector, no matter how difficult it is, there has been no [Russian] advance for two days,” Zelenskyy said at a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.
Mongolia Visit
From Siberia, Putin—and a high-level delegation—continued to Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital, for talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on Sept. 3.At a joint press conference, Putin hailed the “very close, friendly relations” between the two countries.
Khurelsukh said Mongolia hoped to step up relations with Moscow “within the framework of its peaceful, independent, open and multifaceted foreign policy.”
The two leaders did not mention the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Fomin, who accompanied Putin on his visit, said that Russia-Mongolia ties also included cooperation in the military arena.
“We train [Mongolian] troops,” he told reporters in Ulaanbaatar. “This year, we provided training to over 340 [Mongolian] service members.”
According to Fomin, bilateral defense cooperation also includes “weapons and military equipment supplies” and “repair, maintenance, and upgrading services.”
‘Difficult’ Situation in Donbas
In 2022, Russia invaded and annexed Donetsk and Luhansk (which together comprise the Donbas region), along with large swaths of southeastern Ukraine.Backed by its powerful Western allies, Kyiv has vowed to continue fighting until all lost territory is recovered, despite its numerical disadvantage compared to Russian forces.
In recent weeks, Moscow has reported significant gains in Donbas, which it has yet to entirely bring under Russian control.
Over the weekend, Russia’s defense ministry said that its forces had “completely liberated” the village of Ptyche and were now advancing “deep into the enemy’s defenses.”
Russian troops now appear poised to take Pokrovsk, which sits roughly 13 miles northwest of Ptyche.
The ministry also said Russian forces had captured the Donetsk village of Vyimka.
Kyiv has yet to confirm the loss of either village.
On Sept. 1, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s top military commander, said on the Telegram social media platform that Ukrainian forces in Donbas were facing a difficult battlefield situation but “all the necessary decisions at all levels are being made without delay.”
Last week, he visited Ukrainian troops stationed near Pokrovsk, where he described the current state of affairs as “exceptionally tough.”
Writing for the Atlantic Council on Sept. 1, Maria Avdeeva, a Kharkiv-based Ukrainian security analyst, said Pokrovsk serves as a key logistical hub for the Ukrainian military and has long been an important Russian objective. “If the strategically important city falls, it will undermine Ukraine’s defenses while potentially serving as a gateway for further Russian gains.”
‘Tough Times’ in Kursk
Russia’s reported gains in Donbas coincide with a weeks-long Ukrainian cross-border offensive in Russia’s western Kursk region.Since it began on Aug. 6, Ukrainian forces have managed—despite fierce counterattacks—to establish control over several hundred square miles of Russian territory.
Kyiv says that its cross-border offensive is aimed at strengthening its negotiating position in advance of eventual ceasefire talks.
Moscow condemned Kyiv’s offensive as an illegal provocation and vowed to expel Ukrainian forces from its territory.
According to Putin, Kyiv’s offensive in Kursk was ultimately aimed at halting the ongoing Russian advance on the eastern front.
“The enemy sought to stop our advance on the main frontline,” he said.
He said that Russian civilians in Kursk were facing “tough times,” but Kyiv had “failed to achieve its main goal, which was to stop our advance in Donbas.”
After he met with the Dutch prime minister, Zelenskyy said that Kyiv’s ongoing offensive in Kursk was going “according to the plan.”
He also urged Kyiv’s allies to let Ukraine’s military use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.
“For today, only to allow—is also not enough,” the Ukrainian leader said. “We didn’t get everything we would like to use.”
