The Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, claimed on Tuesday the conquest of more than 400 square kilometers of territory in Ukraine since the beginning of this year, informs AFP, who mentions that the Russian troops manage to take the initiative in front of the Ukrainian soldiers lacking ammunition, reports Agerpres .
“In total, since the beginning of the year, 403 km2 of territory in the new regions of the Russian Federation have come under our control,” Şoigu said during a military meeting, according to a press release from his ministry.
He added that Russian soldiers continue to “push Ukrainian units to the west.”
Russia, recalls France Presse, has claimed the annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Lugansk, Kherson, Donetsk and Zaporozhye, which it still only partially controls.
In recent months, the Russian army claimed to have captured several villages and especially the town of Avdiivka, in the east, one of the Ukrainian strongholds in recent years.
Russian soldiers have not scored major victories, with vast areas of the front remaining blocked, but they appear to have benefited from the difficulties of Kiev, which is facing a shortage of ammunition, recruitment problems and the weakening of Western aid.
Last week, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) estimated that Russia has conquered a total of 505 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory since last October.
Tags: Shoigu claims Russia conquered square kilometers territory Ukraine beginning year
