Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed Monday to achieve all his "goals" in Ukraine and celebrated the second anniversary of annexing four Ukrainian regions, as his army claimed fresh advances in the conflict.
Moscow has captured dozens of Ukrainian towns and villages this year, pressing forward even as Kyiv mounts a cross-border offensive into Russian territory.
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"The truth is on our side. All goals set will be achieved," Putin said in a video address marking what he calls "Reunification Day" -- when Moscow annexed four southern and eastern Ukrainian regions in 2022.
He also repeated his justification for sending troops into Ukraine, saying he was protecting Russian speakers against a "neo-Nazi dictatorship" that aimed to "cut them off forever from Russia, their historic homeland".
"Together we are defending a safe, prosperous future for our children and grandchildren," Putin said.
Russia claimed to annex the Ukrainian regions of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in September 2022, but it does not fully control any of them.
The Kremlin has pursued a relentless assault in eastern Ukraine in recent months, pressing its advantage as Ukrainian soldiers grapple with exhaustion and relentless bombardment.
The Russian army said Monday its troops had "liberated" the Ukrainian village of Nelipivka, which had a population of around 1,000 before the conflict.
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It lies just north of the Ukrainian town of New York, where Kyiv claimed to have made rare gains earlier in September.
The main target of Moscow's assault in recent months has been the Ukrainian logistics hub of Pokrovsk, a city on road and rail routes that supply Kyiv's forces across the frontline.
- 'One-on-one talks' -
Putin's comments came shortly after Russia launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks at Ukraine overnight, some of which were aimed at the capital Kyiv.
"The enemy carried out another massive attack with drones on the Kyiv region overnight. Air defence forces worked effectively in the region," the head of the Kyiv regional military administration, Ruslan Kravchenko, said.
Wreckage from some of the downed barrage caused fires but there were no casualties or hits on critical infrastructure, he added.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga was in Budapest on Monday to meet Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is the only EU leader to have maintained close ties with the Kremlin since the conflict began in 2022, and has refused military support for Kyiv.
"The one-on-one talks between Andriy Sybiga and Peter Szijjarto lasted about an hour, twice as long as planned," the Ukrainian foreign ministry said, without elaborating.
Hungary has previously blocked substantial funds for Ukraine, a source of frustration for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his EU allies.
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