Putin seeks advice from Russia's top military commanders on how Ukraine war should proceed

As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on with Russian troops relentlessly attacking Ukrainian territory and Ukraine putting up strong resistance, Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked his top military officials for advice on how the war in Ukraine should be handled, according to the Kremlin on Saturday. The development came as the Kremlin leader visited the headquarters to meet those who were involved in the military operation, which began in late February, according to Sky News. The footage of Putin's visit was shared by the Kremlin, where he was seen sitting at a circular table with military officials, including defence minister Sergei Shogiu and top official Valery Gerasimov.

"We will listen to the commanders in each operational direction, and I would like to hear your proposals on our immediate and medium-term actions," said Putin. Dmitry Peskov told Interfax News Agency that Putin spent the day at the task force headquarters.

Russia to invade Ukraine from North in January: Top Military Commander

Meanwhile, reports have emerged that Russian troops are preparing to invade Ukraine from the north, told Major General Kovalchuk, Commander of the Operational Command South and a key architect of a major invasion in the southern region, in an interview with Sky News. Kovalchuk further noted that Putin is likely to send millions of soldiers into the war in January as the Ukrainian troops have shown tough resistance against Russian aggression in the last few months.

On the other hand, the top Ukrainian military commander has stated that the Ukrainian armed forces would be "ready" to face even a million Russian soldiers. He also stated that Ukraine requires more weapons to combat Russian occupation. He further noted that the weapons that Ukraine needs include cluster munitions, which have been banned by other countries, including the UK. It is worth mentioning here that if Ukraine manages to get such weapons, the war-ravaged country will win the war and will also recapture the occupied territories in Donbas and the Crimean Peninsula.

"We are considering a possible offensive from Belarus at the end of February, maybe later," said Major General Kovalchuk. "We are preparing for it. We are investigating. We look at where they accumulate strength and means," he added, as reported by Sky News.

According to the Ukrainian defence department, over 97,000 Russian troops have been eliminated in Ukraine since the start of the war. It further added that 420 Russian soldiers were killed in the last 24 hours.

Image: AP