Putin held a meeting with the commanders of the military group on his birthday

On his birthday, October 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited St. Petersburg, where he held a meeting with the top military leadership.

In addition, the head of state laid flowers at the grave of Peter the Great in the Peter and Paul Cathedral and talked with the rector of the temple.

At a meeting in St. Petersburg, the current situation at the front was discussed. The President said that the strategic initiative is entirely on the side of the Russian army, noting that this year almost 5,000 square kilometers of territory and 212 settlements have been liberated. He stressed that this was made possible thanks to the courage of the servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces.

Armed with force: the strategic initiative in the free zone is entirely behind Russia

Vladimir Putin announced the liberation of 212 settlements this year.

Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that upon his return from St. Petersburg to Moscow, Putin also held an operational meeting with members of the Russian Security Council. It was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Head of the Presidential Administration Anton Vaino, Presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, head of the SVR Sergei Naryshkin and Special Presidential Envoy Sergei Ivanov.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.