Putin said Moscow held the “complete strategic initiative” on the battlefield. (AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russian forces had taken control of almost 5,000 square kilometres (1,930 square miles) of territory in Ukraine so far this year, according to Reuters.

Speaking at a meeting with top military commanders, Putin said Moscow held the “complete strategic initiative” on the battlefield. He added that Ukraine’s attempts to strike deep inside Russian territory would not change the situation.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of using oil tankers for intelligence gathering and sabotage operations.

In a post on Telegram, cited by Reuters , Zelenskyy said Russia was “using tankers not only to earn money for the war, but als

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