Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the situation in four regions of Ukraine that Moscow claims to have annexed is “extremely difficult”.
“The situation in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions is extremely difficult,” Putin told the Federal Security Service.
The head of state specifically addressed the security guards living in the “new regions of Russia”.
“People living in these regions, citizens of Russia, count on you, your protection,” he said.
Putin also said that Russia needs “maximum composure and concentration of force” in counterintelligence operations.
“It is necessary to firmly suppress the actions of foreign intelligence services, quickly detect traitors, spies and saboteurs,” he added.
In September, Putin announced the annexation of four occupied territories in southern and eastern Ukraine, after Moscow-appointed officials held referendums, which Kyiv and its western allies considered a farce.
But Russian troops do not have full control of any of these areas and were driven from Kherson, the capital of the region of the same name, after a Ukrainian counteroffensive last month.
After several setbacks on the war front, Moscow changed its strategy and began to focus its efforts on an aerial bombardment campaign against military installations and the energy sector in Ukraine.
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.