MOSCOW, March 16 (Reuters) - Russia has taken control of 12 settlements in Ukraine in the first two weeks of March, Russian state-run news agencies cited Russia's top general, Valery Gerasimov, as
Russia has taken 12 settlements in Ukraine as part of general advances, top general says
Russian and Ukrainian Military Developments in March
MOSCOW, March 16 (Reuters) - Russia has taken control of 12 settlements in Ukraine in the first two weeks of March as part of advances along the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, Russian state-run news agencies quoted top general Valery Gerasimov as saying on Monday.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the country's armed forces had disrupted Russian plans for an offensive, with Moscow failing to reinforce its troops.
Russian Advances and Military Strategy
Gerasimov, the chief of Russia's General Staff, was speaking during a visit to the southern grouping of forces and pointed to gains around major Ukrainian cities in the more than four-year-old conflict, known in Russia as a special military operation.
Frontline Progress and Territorial Gains
"The offensive is being conducted in all directions," the Russian Defence Ministry quoted him as saying on its Telegram channel.
"In two weeks in March, 12 settlements have been liberated by units and military formations of the United Group of troops."
Key Areas of Advance
Gerasimov said Russian forces were "actively moving towards Sloviansk," a heavily defended town in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region long seen as one of Moscow's major targets.
He said Kostiantynivka, another town long subject to Russian pressure, was now 60% in Russian hands, with Ukrainian forces "taking all possible measures to stop our advance".
"In Kostiantynivka itself, there are street battles in the northwestern district," Gerasimov was quoted as saying, adding that assault troops were pushing their way into the city.
Russian forces were also making headway further south in Zaporizhzhia region, were "actively advancing westward" and were also continuing to set up buffer zones in Kharkiv and Sumy regions on the border.
Ukrainian Response and Counteroffensives
Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address after meeting Ukraine's top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Russian assaults had become less intense.
"Ukraine's defence forces have disrupted Russia's strategic offensive operation that the enemy had planned for March," he said.
"Although attacks are constant and assaults continue, their intensity and the scale of the confrontation are not what Russia had planned and what its command promised to Russia's political leadership."
Ukrainian Gains and Strategic Successes
Zelenskiy and Syrskyi have pointed in recent weeks to successes in Zaporizhzhia region, recapturing about 400 sq. km. (154 sq. miles) of territory and retaking eight settlements.
Ongoing Conflict and Negotiation Challenges
Russia's top military offices have repeatedly said their forces have been making constant gains all along the front line.
The Ukrainian DeepState military blog, which relies on open sources to determine the position of both sides, said Russian forces were attempting a breakthrough in Kostiantynivka and had made some gains around Sloviansk.
Negotiation Stalemate Over Territory
The issue of territory remains the key sticking point in slow-moving negotiations aimed at clinching a settlement to the conflict. Russia is pressing for Ukraine to give up all of the Donbas (made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions), including areas its forces have not captured, a demand Zelenskiy has rejected.
(Reporting by ReutersWriting by Maxim Rodionov and Ron Popeski; Editing by David Gregorio)
