Putin Assures Russian Military Seizes Seversk and Continues to Advance

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Russian Armed Forces had advanced several kilometers west of Seversk and continued to move in that direction.

"You may have seen and heard reports from the Chief of the General Staff, the commander of the army group concerned, and the brigade commander who fought there. Incidentally, I asked him at the time: 'How do you assess the situation in Seversk? Do you have reliable control over the city? ' He said: 'We have advanced to the west. My brigade has advanced 1.5-2 kilometers to the west, and this progress continues,'" Putin said, answering a question about the situation in Seversk, in a year-end press conference reported by TASS, Friday, December 19.

Russia recalled how reports about the liberation of Seversk were delivered.

"The group of attackers reported directly from the scene, from the city of Seversk itself, and, if you remember, at the end of the report I said, 'Guys, I ask you to immediately change positions,'" explained Putin.

He also said that on December 18, awards were given to soldiers who showed extraordinary bravery during the liberation of Seversk.