"Putin's High-Level Meeting: Assessing Russia's War Efforts in Ukraine"

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with top military officials, including Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff of the Army in charge of Moscow's operations in Ukraine, at the headquarters of the special military operation group in Rostov-on-Don. The meeting comes as Ukraine claims counteroffensive gains on the southeastern front, with the recent liberation of a small village. The Kremlin did not provide further details about the meeting, but videos showed Gerasimov greeting Putin and leading him into a building. Both sides have seen recent successes in taking control of small villages, while Ukraine aims to potentially cut off Russia's land bridge to Crimea.