The chief of Russia’s general staff Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that Russian forces had taken control of the Ukrainian city of Kupiansk.

Putin had visited the command post of the Russian forces “West” grouping where he had met with Gerasimov, and top military brass, the Kremlin said earlier.

Putin had been briefed on the situation in Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region as well as around Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, the Kremlin said.

“Units of the ‘West’ grouping have liberated the city of Kupiansk and are continuing to destroy Ukrainian armed forces units surrounded on the left bank of the Oskol River,” Gerasimov told Putin.

Gerasimov also told Putin that Russian forces had taken control of 70% of Pokrovsk, as well as over 80% of Vovchansk.