STORY: Russia's top general, Valery Gerasimov, said on Tuesday that Moscow's forces were advancing along the entire front line in Ukraine and were targeting surrounded Ukrainian troops in the town of Myrnohrad.

In a command post meeting with officers of the Centre Grouping which is fighting in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, Gerasimov said President Vladimir Putin had ordered the defeat of Ukrainian forces in Myrnohrad, a town with a pre-war population of some 46,000 people to the east of Pokrovsk, in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

Gerasimov said Russian forces had taken control of more than 30 percent of Myrnohrad's buildings.

Russia, which uses the Soviet-era name of Krasnoarmeysk to refer to neighbouring Pokrovsk, says it has taken the whole of the city and claims to have also encircled Ukrainian forces in Myrnohrad, which Russians call Dimitrov.

Ukraine has repeatedly denied Russian claims that Pokrovsk has fallen and says it forces still hold part of the city and are fighting back in Myrnohrad.

Ukraine says it is holding its defensive lines and forcing Russia to pay a high price for what it says are relatively modest gains.

Putin said last week that Russia would take full control of Ukraine's Donbas region by force unless Ukrainian forces withdraw, something Kyiv has flatly rejected.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: RUSSIA's TOP GENERAL VALERY GERASIMOV AT A COMMAND POST FOR TROOPS OF CENTRE GROUP OF FORCES FIGHTING IN UKRAINE/ GERASIMOV SAYING RUSSIAN FORCES ADVANCE ALONG ENTIRE FRONT LINE IN UKRAINE/ GERASIMOV SAYING 30 PERCENT OF BUILDINGS IN UKRAINE'S MYRNOHRAD (EAST OF POKROVSK) HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY RUSSIAN TROOPS

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PARTS OF VIDEO BLURRED AT SOURCE

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION (RELEASED DECEMBER 9, 2025) (RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY - Do not obscure logo)

1. HELICOPTER'S ROTATING BLADES

2. CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OF RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES VALERY GERASIMOV (CENTRE) BEING GREETED BY MILITARY OFFICER

3. GERASIMOV WALED ALONG PASSAGE BOARDED OVER WITH WOODEN PLANKS

4. MILITARY OFFICER REPORTING TO GERASIMOV

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OF RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES, VALERY GERASIMOV, SAYING:

"The troops of the Joint Group of Forces continue their offensive, practically in all directions. During the report to the Supreme Commander (Russian President Vladimir Putin) about liberation of Krasnoarmeysk (the Russian name for Pokrovsk) on December 1, the Supreme Commander ordered to defeat enemy's units (OVER MILITARY OFFICERS LISTENING) in areas to the east of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) and in Dimitrov (Russian name for Myrnohrad). (AT SHOT) As of today, the units of the (Russian) 2nd Army liberated the settlements of Rivne, Rih and Hnativka, adjacent to Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) from the east."

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OF RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES, VALERY GERASIMOV, SAYING:

"(OVER MILITARY OFFICERS LISTENING AND TAKING NOTES) The living quarters of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) (IN SHOT) are being checked, aid being provided to the local population. Some 200 people evacuated to safe areas. (OVER OFFICER LISTENING) The 5th separate motorised rifle brigade (IN SHOT) of the 51st Army is destroying formations of Ukrainian Armed Forces (OVER VARIOUS OF OFFICERS LISTENING) blocked in Dimitrov (Myrnohrad). As of today, the southern part of the city is liberated and under our full control. This makes more than 30 percent of the total number of buildings in the city."

7. OFFICERS LISTENING AND TAKING NOTES

8. (MUTE) VARIOUS OF OFFICER REPORTING TO GERASIMOV

9. (MUTE) OFFICERS LISTENING

10. (MUTE) GERASIMOV SPEAKING

11. (MUTE) OFFICER REPORTING

12. (MUTE) VARIOUS OF GERASIMOV SPEAKING

13. (MUTE)) VARIOUS OF MEDALS ON RED VELVET CLOTH

14. (MUTE) VARIOUS OF GERASIMOV PRESENTING MEDALS TO SOLDIERS

15. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OF RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES, VALERY GERASIMOV, SAYING:

"Th capture of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) became (OVER SOLDIERS AND THEIR MEDALS) the most important stage of liberation of the entire Donbas (region)".

16. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS LISTENING

17. MEDALS