MOSCOW, March 18, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday his troops had the upper hand in Ukraine after they captured a string of towns and villages in the east of the country.

"The initiative belongs entirely to the Russian armed forces, and in some areas our guys are just tearing them -- the enemy -- apart right now," Putin said in televised remarks, as election results showed he was headed for another six-year term.