In a high-stakes meeting that has sent ripples across global capitals, Russia's top military commander delivered a sobering assessment of the conflict in Ukraine to President Vladimir Putin. The briefing, held in Moscow, outlined a significant shift in battlefield momentum that has reportedly left Western allies and the Ukrainian leadership reeling.
Gerasimov's Stark Assessment to Putin
Chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, provided President Vladimir Putin with a detailed update on military operations. The core of his message was one of relentless pressure and accelerating gains. Gerasimov stated that December 2025 witnessed Russian forces achieving their highest rate of advance for the entire year, marking a period of intense operational success.
According to the military chief's report, Ukrainian defense efforts have been largely reduced to a strategy of delay, struggling to hold back the Russian offensive. This shift indicates a potential weakening of Kyiv's defensive capabilities after a prolonged period of conflict.
The Scale of Territorial Gains
The numerical data presented by Gerasimov underscores the scale of the claimed Russian success over the past year. He revealed that Russian forces have taken control of a substantial 6,640 square kilometres of territory. Furthermore, this territorial expansion includes the capture of 334 settlements, from small villages to larger towns, significantly altering the front-line map.
These figures, if accurate, represent one of the most significant territorial consolidations by Russia in a single calendar year, highlighting the sustained pressure applied across multiple axes of the conflict.
A Dire Warning for Kyiv and Its Backers
The most alarming part of Gerasimov's briefing was the forward-looking warning issued to the Russian leadership. The army chief explicitly cautioned that if the current military trajectory remains unchanged, the administration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could be facing a collapse in the very near future.
This statement is interpreted as more than just battlefield bravado. It is a strategic signal aimed at both the domestic audience in Russia and the international community, particularly NATO nations supporting Ukraine. The implication is that the window for effective Ukrainian resistance or negotiated settlement is closing rapidly.
The reported reaction from NATO and President Zelensky's office, described as being "in shock," suggests the briefing's contents have intensified concerns about Ukraine's capacity to sustain the war effort. This development is likely to trigger urgent reassessments in Western capitals regarding the level and nature of future military aid to Kyiv.
The briefing from General Gerasimov marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing narrative of the war. It frames the conflict's closing chapter of 2025 not as a stalemate, but as a period of decisive Russian momentum, setting the stage for what could be a critical year ahead in 2026.
