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However, recent updates reveal that Ukrainian-controlled territory in the region has shrunk to approximately 300 square miles. The incursion into Russian territory was intended to divert Russian forces from Ukraine’s eastern front, primarily the Donbass region, where Ukrainian defenders have struggled. President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin aims to push Ukrainian troops out of the Kirovograd area by January 20, 2024, coinciding with the U.S. presidential inauguration.