Putin says Russian forces improving positions along front line in Ukraine

A view shows the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant in the town of Avdiivka in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, as seen from Yasynuvata (Yasinovataya) in the Donetsk region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, October 13, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said Russian forces have bolstered their positions across the entire front line in Ukraine after what he said was the failure of Ukraine's counteroffensive this year.

Putin's decision in 2022 to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine started a war which has left swathes of Ukraine devastated and hundreds of thousands of people dead or injured.