In December 2025, the Russian army achieved its highest offensive pace, said Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov during a review of the progress of the combat missions of the Northern Forces units.
„In December of this year, we achieved our highest offensive pace. Over 700 square kilometers of territory were liberated in one month“, he said.
According to Gerasimov, the Northern Forces units are creating a “security zone“ in the areas of the Ukrainian Sumy and Kharkiv regions, bordering the Kursk region of Russia. A total of 950 square kilometers and 32 settlements have come under the control of the Russian army, the largest of which is the city of Volchansk in the Kharkiv region, the chief of the General Staff said.
He added that the pace of the "security zone expansion" also increased in December: Russian troops captured seven settlements. President Vladimir Putin has set the task of continuing the "security zone expansion to ensure the peaceful life of residents of the Belgorod and Kursk regions" for the next year, Gerasimov said.