MOSCOW

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said on Friday that seven training grounds are being constructed and equipped in the zone of "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Shoygu said during a meeting with military chiefs in Moscow that work on two construction sites has been completed, and five more are being outfitted.

"Additional training was conducted with the personnel of the training grounds, this will increase the efficiency and safety of the operation of the base," he said.

Currently, a new academic year is beginning in the Russian armed forces of the Russian Federation, which was preceded by thorough preliminary work, including training in camps, he said.

The minister also claimed that Russia has been expanding the zone of its control in all directions.

Russia claims to have launched a "special military operation" to "denazify" and "demilitarize" Ukraine and protect the country's Russian-speaking population. The West, however, views the military campaign that began in Feb. 2022 as an aggression.