Russia to bite off much more of Ukraine, Putin ally Medvedev says

FILE PHOTO: Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council and Chairman of the United Russia political party, delivers a speech during the party's congress in Moscow, Russia, December 17, 2023. Sputnik/Yekaterina Shtukina/Pool via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian troops will go much further into Ukraine, taking the southern city of Odesa and may even one day push on to the capital Kyiv, a senior ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

Putin said on Tuesday Russian troops would push further into Ukraine to build on their success on the battlefield after the weekend fall of the town of Avdiivka where he said Ukrainian troops had been forced to flee in chaos.