Vladimir Putin has stated in his first public remarks on the subject that Russia’s plans will not be altered by the current counteroffensive by Ukraine.
In a quick counterattack, Ukrainian forces claim to have taken over 8,000 square kilometres (3,000 square miles) in the northeastern Kharkiv region in just six days.
However, Mr. Putin claimed he wasn’t in a rush, and the attack in the Donbass region of Ukraine is still on schedule.
Additionally, he pointed out that Russia has not yet sent out all of its forces.
“Our offensive operation in the Donbas is not stopping. They’re moving forward – not at a very fast pace – but they are gradually taking more and more territory,” he said after a summit in Uzbekistan.
The industrial Donbas region in east Ukraine is the focus of Russia’s invasion, which Mr Putin falsely claims is necessary to save Russian speakers from genocide.
Parts of the Donbas have been occupied by Russian-backed separatists since 2014. The Kharkiv region, where Ukraine’s recent counter-attack was launched, is not part of the Donbas.
In Friday’s comments, Mr Putin threatened a “more serious” response if Ukrainian attacks continue.
“I remind you that the Russian army isn’t fighting in its entirety… Only the professional army is fighting.”
Russia initially denied sending conscript soldiers to Ukraine, but several officers were disciplined after cases came to light of conscripts being forced to sign contracts and in some instances being taken, prisoner.
So far, Russia has not officially declared war on Ukraine and only refers to its invasion as a “special military operation”.
But after Russia’s recent losses, some pro-Kremlin commentators have called for more forces to be mobilised. A recently leaked video that appears to show an attempt to recruit convicts to a private military company suggests Russia is struggling to find enough men willing to fight.
Later on Friday, US President Joe Biden reiterated his call on Russia to refrain from using chemical or tactical nuclear weapons.
Speaking during an interview with CBS News, Mr Biden said such action would “change the face of war unlike anything since World War Two”.
President Putin put the country’s nuclear forces on a “special” alert following its invasion of Ukraine in February.
The Russian leader has rarely left his country since then.
This week’s visit to the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan – where he met the Chinese leader Xi Jinping – highlights his need to foster ties with Asian countries after being sidelined by the West.
But even there, leaders have expressed concern over the invasion.
“Today’s time is not a time for war,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Mr Putin.
And on the previous day, Mr Putin hinted that Xi Jinping also disapproved.
“We understand your questions and concerns,” he told the Chinese leader in reference to the war.