Putin Says Ukraine Still Controls Up to 17 Percent of Donetsk Region

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that approximately 15-17 percent of the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) remains under Ukrainian control. He made the statement during a conversation with the head of the republic, Denis Pushilin. Pushilin confirmed the figures, noting that Kyiv currently controls less than one-fifth of the region. "They report the same to me — 15-17 percent,” said Putin. The Russian president added that just six months ago Ukrainian forces controlled about 20 percent of the republic's territory.