Russia's Putin says positive dynamic in military operation in Ukraine - Yahoo News

By Guy Faulconbridge

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the subject cognition successful Ukraine had gained affirmative momentum and that helium hoped his soldiers would present much wins aft Russia claimed power of the eastbound Ukrainian salt-mining municipality of Soledar.

Russia’s Feb. 24 penetration of Ukraine has triggered 1 of the deadliest European conflicts since World War Two and the biggest confrontation betwixt Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Russia said connected Friday that its forces had taken power of Soledar, a uncommon occurrence for Moscow aft months of battlefield reverses.

"The dynamic is positive," Putin told Rossiya 1 authorities tv erstwhile asked astir the taking of Soledar. "Everything is processing wrong the model of the program of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff."

"And I anticipation that our fighters volition delight america adjacent much with the results of their combat," Putin said.

Putin present casts the warfare successful Ukraine arsenic an existential conflict with an assertive and arrogant West, and has said that Russia volition usage each disposable means to support itself and its radical against immoderate aggressor.

The United States and its allies person condemned Russia's penetration of Ukraine arsenic an imperial onshore grab, portion Ukraine has vowed to combat until the past Russian worker is ejected from its territory.

A determination politician successful Ukraine connected Saturday said that Ukrainian forces were inactive warring to clasp power of Soledar. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said it was highly improbable that Ukrainian forces inactive held positions wrong Soledar itself.

Reuters could not instantly verify the concern successful Soledar.

Neither broadside people up to day figures connected the decease toll from the war.

RUSSIAN ECONOMY

Although the West has imposed what it says are unprecedented sanctions connected Russia implicit the warfare successful Ukraine, the system of the world's biggest shaper of earthy resources has shown resilience.

Putin says Russia is present turning distant from the West and volition commercialized with Asian powers specified arsenic China and India.

"The concern successful the system is stable," Putin said. "Much amended than not lone what our opponents predicted but besides what we forecast."

Putin said unemployment was a cardinal indicator.

"Unemployment is astatine a historical low. Inflation is little than expected and has, importantly, a downward trend."

Russia's system contracted successful 2022 nether the value of sanctions, but mode little than the illness galore economists forecast.

Many sectors specified arsenic aviation and automaking person been severely deed and immoderate economists accidental the emergence successful weapons accumulation has cushioned the contraction.

The $2.1 trillion system is forecast by the Russian authorities to declaration by 0.8% successful 2023.

Russia's 2023 fund is based connected a Urals blend terms of astir $70.1 a barrel, though Russia's main blend is presently trading astatine beneath $50 a barrel.

(Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)