Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia may capture the remaining Ukrainian held areas of the Donetsk region much sooner than Ukraine and European countries expect, Anadolu Agency reported.
Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, Putin said Ukrainian officials estimate that Kyiv could retain control of the remaining 11 percent of Donetsk for another year and a half, while European countries expect it to remain under Ukrainian control for up to two years.
Putin, however, said Russia expects to seize the remaining areas much sooner, citing the pace of its military advances.
He also claimed that Russian forces captured 1,301 square kilometers of territory in September, saying the figure was two and a half times higher than in previous months.