Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russian forces would continue operating carefully but persistently on the battlefield as they pursue the objectives set before the country. He expressed confidence that the special military operation would end in Russia’s victory.

Putin said military decisions, like economic ones, carry serious risks, with the cost measured in Russian losses on the battlefield. For that reason, he stressed that the armed forces would act cautiously while maintaining a consistent course toward their goals.

The president also pointed to the cohesion of Russian society and said this unity should be preserved after the fighting ends.

According to Putin, the past several years have been an exceptionally difficult and demanding period for the country. He described the present moment as one of the decisive stages in Russia’s history, with the fate and future of its people at stake.

Putin previously said the conflict in Ukraine was started by Kiev and that Moscow only responded to those events. He also argued that the Ukrainian authorities had turned against residents of the country’s southeast, a region he described as traditionally oriented toward Russia.

The Russian leader also said he believed Ukraine would eventually lose its western territories. He noted that those lands became part of Ukraine under decisions made by the Soviet leadership during Joseph Stalin’s rule.