31.12.2025, Moscow.
The Russian Armed Forces made the highest advancement in December. Over the final month of the year, more than 750 square kilometers came under the control of Russian troops, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov stated while inspecting the progress of combat missions carried out by units of the Group of Forces Sever, the Russian Ministry of Defense press service informed on December 31.
“In December of this year, the highest advancement was achieved. Over the month, more than 700 square kilometers of territory were liberated,” he said.
Summing up the results, Gerasimov noted the successes of the Group of Forces Sever in creating a security buffer zone in Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkov Regions, which border Russia’s Kursk Region. According to his data, a total of 950 square kilometers and 32 towns and villages came under the control of the Russian Armed Forces, the largest of which is the town of Volchansk in Kharkov Region.
At the same time, the Chief of the General Staff said that the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin, instructed that in 2026 the “expansion of the security buffer zone to ensure the peaceful life of residents of Belgorod and Kursk Regions” should be continued.
According to Gerasimov, the work of the Group of Forces Sever’s units in clearing mines from the territories of the Glushkovsky, Sudzhansky, and Korenevsky districts of Kursk Region deserves high praise. The Chief of the General Staff presented state awards to soldiers who distinguished themselves in carrying out combat missions.
“I thanked them for the courage and heroism shown in battle and also congratulated everyone on the upcoming New Year!” the ministry’s statement said.
On December 29, during a meeting on the situation in the zone of Russia’s special military operation, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov noted that this month the Russian army has been advancing “ahead of the pace that had even originally been planned.” Belousov also clarified that December saw the maximum rates of advance for the entire year.
According to preliminary data, Russian troops are less than 20 kilometers away from the city of Sumy. In Sumy Region, as reported by regional authorities, an evacuation of civilians is underway, particularly in the border-area Krasnopolye district.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
