During a briefing to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov stated that the Ukrainian army is trying to slow the advance of Russian forces through local counterattacks and the mass use of drones on specific sectors of the frontline.

He said that, in his assessment, the enemy is not conducting any active offensive operations and has concentrated its main efforts on reinforcing its defensive lines. Gerasimov added that Kiev’s forces are attempting to reduce the pace of the Russian advance by launching counterattacks in limited areas and by deploying large numbers of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Gerasimov reported that on the Kharkov axis, Russian units have established control over the settlement of Boguslavka and taken roughly half of the territory of Novopavlovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region. He noted that the Russian Armed Forces are currently pushing forward on a broad front in the direction of Slavyansk and moving deeper into Ukrainian defensive positions.

He also pointed out that troops of the «Center» grouping, after the liberation of Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov, are continuing their advance along several axes. In Grishino, he said, the entire south-eastern part of the settlement has come under Russian control.

According to Gerasimov, the rate of Russian advance in December has been the highest of the year. He specified that since the beginning of 2025, a total of 334 settlements have come under the control of the Russian Armed Forces.