02:39Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu claimed that the country’s armed forces 'liberated' 420 square kilometres in the Ukraine conflict zone while Kiev lost 'more than 115,000 people' since mid-June, speaking with journalists in Baku on Tuesday.
"Over these two months, our troops have liberated 420 more square kilometres, and the Ukrainian troops have lost, according to the [Russian] Defence Ministry, more than 115,000 people," Shoigu said.
"That’s almost 60,000 [people] a month. But this could’ve been stopped if the demands set out by our president had been met," he continued, adding that the window for negotiations 'has become smaller' with the time passed.
Shoigu arrived in Baku on Tuesday to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and discuss the bilateral agenda as well as security issues in the South Caucasus.
At the time of publication, the Ukrainian side had not commented on the Defence Ministry’s claims. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff reported on Tuesday that fierce fighting continued in the Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and Kharkov directions.
"The enemy remained active in the Kharkov direction, there were five military engagements in total. The fighting took place in the areas of Volchansk and Tikhoye. <...> In the Toretsk direction, backed by air support, the enemy carried out 26 attacks near the settlements of Severnoye, Toretsk and New York. Our defenders repelled 41 enemy attacks in the Pokrovsk direction," the statement read.
On June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin named the conditions for ending the conflict in Ukraine. Among them, the Russian leader singled out 'Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned, non-nuclear status, its demilitarisation and denazification', ensuring the rights, freedoms and interests of Russian-speaking citizens in Ukraine, recognition of the Crimea, Sevastopol, DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions as constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as well as the lifting of all sanctions.
The same day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commented on the proposal, saying that its acceptance would mean Russia achieving its 'war games aims'.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Putin’s conditions as an 'ultimatum' and emphasised that they do not aim to freeze the conflict. Meanwhile, on July 21, he admitted the possibility of holding talks with Putin despite Kiev's ban on dialogue with Russia.
"At the second peace summit, if the plan is completely ready, and if Russia is ready to discuss this plan and agree on ending the war, in accordance with the UN Charter, then we will be ready to speak, along with our partners, with representatives of Russia. Whether it's Putin or not Putin, what difference does it make, let's be honest," he said during the interview with BBC.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Russia 'liberated' 420 km2 of territory, Ukraine lost 'more than 115,000 people' since mid-June - Shoigu
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu claimed that the country’s armed forces 'liberated' 420 square kilometres in the Ukraine conflict zone while Kiev lost 'more than 115,000 people' since mid-June, speaking with journalists in Baku on Tuesday.
"Over these two months, our troops have liberated 420 more square kilometres, and the Ukrainian troops have lost, according to the [Russian] Defence Ministry, more than 115,000 people," Shoigu said.
"That’s almost 60,000 [people] a month. But this could’ve been stopped if the demands set out by our president had been met," he continued, adding that the window for negotiations 'has become smaller' with the time passed.
Shoigu arrived in Baku on Tuesday to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and discuss the bilateral agenda as well as security issues in the South Caucasus.
At the time of publication, the Ukrainian side had not commented on the Defence Ministry’s claims. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff reported on Tuesday that fierce fighting continued in the Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and Kharkov directions.
"The enemy remained active in the Kharkov direction, there were five military engagements in total. The fighting took place in the areas of Volchansk and Tikhoye. <...> In the Toretsk direction, backed by air support, the enemy carried out 26 attacks near the settlements of Severnoye, Toretsk and New York. Our defenders repelled 41 enemy attacks in the Pokrovsk direction," the statement read.
On June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin named the conditions for ending the conflict in Ukraine. Among them, the Russian leader singled out 'Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned, non-nuclear status, its demilitarisation and denazification', ensuring the rights, freedoms and interests of Russian-speaking citizens in Ukraine, recognition of the Crimea, Sevastopol, DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions as constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as well as the lifting of all sanctions.
The same day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commented on the proposal, saying that its acceptance would mean Russia achieving its 'war games aims'.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Putin’s conditions as an 'ultimatum' and emphasised that they do not aim to freeze the conflict. Meanwhile, on July 21, he admitted the possibility of holding talks with Putin despite Kiev's ban on dialogue with Russia.
"At the second peace summit, if the plan is completely ready, and if Russia is ready to discuss this plan and agree on ending the war, in accordance with the UN Charter, then we will be ready to speak, along with our partners, with representatives of Russia. Whether it's Putin or not Putin, what difference does it make, let's be honest," he said during the interview with BBC.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu claimed that the country’s armed forces 'liberated' 420 square kilometres in the Ukraine conflict zone while Kiev lost 'more than 115,000 people' since mid-June, speaking with journalists in Baku on Tuesday.
"Over these two months, our troops have liberated 420 more square kilometres, and the Ukrainian troops have lost, according to the [Russian] Defence Ministry, more than 115,000 people," Shoigu said.
"That’s almost 60,000 [people] a month. But this could’ve been stopped if the demands set out by our president had been met," he continued, adding that the window for negotiations 'has become smaller' with the time passed.
Shoigu arrived in Baku on Tuesday to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and discuss the bilateral agenda as well as security issues in the South Caucasus.
At the time of publication, the Ukrainian side had not commented on the Defence Ministry’s claims. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff reported on Tuesday that fierce fighting continued in the Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and Kharkov directions.
"The enemy remained active in the Kharkov direction, there were five military engagements in total. The fighting took place in the areas of Volchansk and Tikhoye. <...> In the Toretsk direction, backed by air support, the enemy carried out 26 attacks near the settlements of Severnoye, Toretsk and New York. Our defenders repelled 41 enemy attacks in the Pokrovsk direction," the statement read.
On June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin named the conditions for ending the conflict in Ukraine. Among them, the Russian leader singled out 'Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned, non-nuclear status, its demilitarisation and denazification', ensuring the rights, freedoms and interests of Russian-speaking citizens in Ukraine, recognition of the Crimea, Sevastopol, DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions as constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as well as the lifting of all sanctions.
The same day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commented on the proposal, saying that its acceptance would mean Russia achieving its 'war games aims'.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Putin’s conditions as an 'ultimatum' and emphasised that they do not aim to freeze the conflict. Meanwhile, on July 21, he admitted the possibility of holding talks with Putin despite Kiev's ban on dialogue with Russia.
"At the second peace summit, if the plan is completely ready, and if Russia is ready to discuss this plan and agree on ending the war, in accordance with the UN Charter, then we will be ready to speak, along with our partners, with representatives of Russia. Whether it's Putin or not Putin, what difference does it make, let's be honest," he said during the interview with BBC.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.