OREANDA-NEWS President Vladimir Putin visited the headquarters of the Russian Armed Forces in Rostov-on-Don, his press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

"Returning from Perm, President Putin stopped by Rostov, where he visited the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation," Peskov said (quoted by Interfax).

Putin listened to the report of the head of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov on the progress of the special operation in Ukraine, the head of state also talked with other representatives of the top leadership of the Ministry of Defense, the press secretary added.

"The combined group of troops solves tasks in accordance with the operation plan," Gerasimov reported to Putin (quoted by TASS).

On October 19, Putin held a meeting of the Presidential Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sports in Perm Krai, visited the XI International Sports Forum "Russia is a Sports power", held a meeting with the head of the region Dmitry Makhonin and the general designer of JSC UEC—Aviadvigatel Alexander Inozemtsev.

Prior to that, the head of state was on a visit to China. There he visited the international forum "One Belt, One Road", held talks with President of the Republic Xi Jinping, as well as with leaders of other Asian countries — President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Prime Minister of Thailand Settha Thavisin. Putin also had a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.