The Kremlin said that Putin is talking to officials of the Russian operation in Ukraine

The Kremlin announced on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had held talks with those responsible for Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, as Ukrainian territory is under intense Russian bombardment.

“On Friday, the president spent a full day at the headquarters of the forces participating in the special military operation” in Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The head of the Russian state, in particular, held a “meeting” there with the participation of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and “held separate meetings with the leaders” of various branches of the Russian army. The army participated in the operation, according to the same source.

“I would like to hear your proposals on our measures in the short and medium term,” Mr. Putin said during the meeting, excerpts of which were broadcast on Russian public television on Saturday.

The announcement comes as Ukraine was targeted on Friday by new Russian missile strikes that caused power outages across the country, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Facing a series of military setbacks this fall, Russia, which launched an offensive against Ukraine at the end of February, has since October opted for the tactic of massive strikes targeting Ukraine’s power grids and transformers.