Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that the army was pushing Ukrainian forces westwards.
Shoigu said that after the failure of its 2023 counteroffensive, Ukraine had tried to gain a foothold on various fronts but had not achieved its goals.
Russia claimed its first significant victory in nine months with the capture of Avdiivka in February. Shoigu said groups of Russian troops "continue to push back the Ukrainian formations" towards the west.
