Putin brags about Russia’s latest battlefield success in Ukraine as another town falls to his troops – hours before Trump envoys arrive for latest peace talks

Vladimir Putin boasted about Russia’s gains on the latest battlefield in Ukraine as he celebrated the fall of another frontline town just hours before Donald Trump’s envoys arrived in Moscow for the latest round of peace talks.

In a video released by the Kremlin, Putin praised commanders for what he claimed was the complete capture of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine and said the advance was an important step towards Moscow’s broader military goals.

Dressed in uniform at a command center, he told his generals: ‘I want to thank you. This is an important aspect. We all understand how important this is. ‘It will enable forward solutions to the missions we set at the beginning of the special military operation.’

Russian commanders informed him that troops were still conducting ‘clearing operations’ around Pokrovsk and the nearby town of Myrnohrad; He said that 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers were trapped there.

They also told him that Russian forces had captured the front-line town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region as part of an effort to create a security buffer.

Ukraine has not confirmed the loss of Pokrovsk or Vovchansk, and neither claim could be independently verified.

Both positions have been under pressure for weeks and, if confirmed, the fall of Pokrovsk would be Russia’s most significant territorial gain since the capture of Avdiivka in early 2024.

The Kremlin released Putin’s comments late Monday, even though the briefing took place the day before.

Russian state television included images of soldiers raising flags in what appeared to be the city center in the morning news; This move was thought to be timed to strengthen Moscow’s hand ahead of talks with Trump’s representatives.

Russian soldiers wave the country’s flag in Pokrovsk after taking control of the city. In the videos, soldiers are seen walking freely in the city

A screenshot of a video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense shows the devastation following intense fighting in Pokrovsk

Russian analysts argue that securing Pokrovsk would give Putin an additional advantage because it shows that progress is being made in the Donetsk region at a time when he is demanding control of the entire Donbas.

Hours after the Kremlin’s statement, US ambassador Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were preparing to meet Putin in Moscow.

A White House official confirmed that both men were traveling for talks aimed at exploring a possible solution to end what the Trump administration now calls a “bloodbath” and “proxy war.”

This will be their first meeting with Putin, where no progress has been made since the Alaska summit in August.

Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the meeting would take place on Tuesday afternoon but refused to state Russia’s red lines, warning against megaphone diplomacy.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants to end the war quickly, but a draft American proposal leaked last month alarmed Kiev and European capitals.

The earlier 28-point draft included provisions that Ukrainian and European officials believed addressed Moscow’s demands, including limits on the Ukrainian military, recognition of Russia’s existing territorial control and new rules on NATO expansion.

European powers then submitted their own counteroffers, and soon Ukrainian and US officials met in Geneva.

A residential building burned after a Russian attack in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, on December 1

Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the president’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, are scheduled to meet with Putin later today to talk about a possible end to the crisis.

Both sides said they had established an ‘updated and refined peace framework’, but details were not published. Putin later said that the current discussions were not yet about a draft agreement, but about proposals that ‘could form the basis of future agreements’.

Russia’s basic demands have not changed; Moscow insists that Ukraine should never join NATO. It wants recognition of its control over Crimea, Donbas, Kherson and Zaporizhia.

It also aims to limit the size and capacity of the Ukrainian military and provide new protections for Russian speakers and Russian Orthodox believers.

Ukraine said these conditions amounted to surrender. Kiev argues that giving away land would leave the country vulnerable to further Russian attacks and would violate Ukraine’s constitution, which prohibits giving away land without a nationwide referendum.

Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Presidency, said in an interview with The Atlantic: ‘Not a single sane person today would sign a document to give up lands. As long as Zelensky is president, no one should trust us to give up land.

‘He won’t sign the zone. The Constitution prohibits this. ‘No one can do this unless they want to go against the Ukrainian constitution and the Ukrainian people.’

Before their visit to Moscow, Witkoff and Kushner met with Rustam Umerov, head of Ukraine’s national security council, in Florida.

President Volodymyr Zelensky later said: ‘We share the view that the war must end justly.’ Ukrainian and American officials are expected to meet again after the Moscow talks, but no timeline has been announced.

Russia now occupies more than 19 percent of Ukraine, according to widely used military maps, and has made the fastest advance in 2025 since the first year of the occupation.

Ruins of an apartment building and vehicles in Kherson after Russian attacks. Ahead of the last round of peace talks, Putin intensified his attacks on Ukraine.

Putin and Trump in August this year. The latest round of talks comes after a meeting between US leaders failed to reach agreement

U.S. officials estimate that more than 1.2 million soldiers from both sides have been killed or wounded since Russia launched its full-scale offensive in February 2022.

The problems between the two countries intensified eight years ago with the overthrow of a pro-Russian president in Kiev and the clashes in Eastern Ukraine following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Putin told commanders on Monday that Russian troops were advancing ‘along the entire front line’.

Russian General Staff Chief General Valery Gerasimov said Moscow intends to seize the rest of Donbas.

With Pokrovsk claimed and Vovchansk contested, Russian forces are trying to take advantage of Ukraine’s lack of manpower and ammunition. Kiev is trying to stabilize its lines while awaiting additional military aid from the West.

Putin’s battlefield messages on the eve of the Trump envoys’ visit appear aimed at sending a clear signal that he believes Russia holds the momentum on the battlefield.