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Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Central Military Hospital of the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, where he met wounded and rehabilitated soldiers.
During the visit, he stated that the situation in the Special Military Operation zone is evolving in Russia's favor, stating that Ukrainian troops are trapped and surrounded in Kupiansk and Krasnoarmeysk.
He stressed that Russian forces are advancing on all fronts and invited international and Ukrainian journalists to take a closer look at the situation, to understand "the encirclement of Ukrainian troops and the decisions that the Kiev leadership must make for its citizens and soldiers."
This was the first time the Russian president discussed developments on the front lines so openly, while in recent days reporting on the situation in Ukraine has been contradictory and uncertain.
The Ukrainian reaction was immediate: the Kiev military command called Putin’s claim of encircling Kupiansk “fantasy.” However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that the situation in those areas is complicated, but stressed that Ukraine continues to defend its positions. He added that Russia has failed to achieve its objectives and that the Kremlin is trying to convince the United States that Russian forces are capable of taking all of Donbas.
During the visit, Putin also announced the testing of a new nuclear weapon, the Poseidon unmanned submarine, equipped with a nuclear engine and with a power that he said exceeds the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. He stated that the weapon is not yet in service, but will be very soon. The announcement comes just days after the presentation of the Burevestnik missile.
On the other hand, some regions of Russia are facing significant salary cuts for soldiers. The lump sum payment that soldiers receive when they sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense has been reduced, especially the regional contribution.
The largest reduction was recorded in the Samara region, where the bonus fell from 3.6 million to 400 thousand rubles, that is, nine times less. Former President Dmitry Medvedev justified this by the high number of conscriptions in 2025 (over 345 thousand soldiers), while independent experts suggest that the reduction is related to a lack of funds.
The image of the poster behind Putin with the inscription "For the Motherland" and the historical photograph from 1945, where a Red Army soldier raises the flag over the Reichstag, seems to symbolize the Kremlin's attempt to connect the historic victory with the current war in Ukraine.
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