Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Tuesday that the situation is “extremely difficult” in the four regions of southern and eastern Ukraine whose annexation is claimed by Moscow, even without having completely conquered them.
“The situation in the People’s Republics of Donetsk, Lugansk, as well as in the regions of Kherson and Zaporijia is extremely difficult,” Putin said.
The minister’s statements appeared in a video intended for officials of the Security Service (FSB), Foreign Intelligence (SVR) and Senior Protection Officers (FSO), who celebrate their “professional holiday” on December 20 each year.
Vladimir Putin praised the work of members of the Russian security services operating in the “new regions of Russia”, ensuring that “the people who live there, the Russian citizens”, depend on the “protection” of these services.
The Kremlin chief, himself a former Soviet secret service (KGB) agent, called for “maximum concentration” of the counterintelligence services.
“It is necessary to crack down on the actions of foreign secret services and effectively identify traitors, spies and saboteurs,” said Vladimir Putin.
In September, the Russian president announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions (Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporijia and Kherson), partially controlled by the Russian military, after holding local “referendums” that Kyiv and the West had identified as fictitious.
In November, however, Ukraine recaptured Kherson, the capital of the region of the same name, a major setback for Moscow, after weeks of counter-offensive and actions by Ukrainian guerrillas behind enemy lines.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24 caused at least 6.5 million internally displaced people and more than 7.8 million refugees to European countries, so the United Nations classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II World War (1939-1945). ).
Currently, 17.7 million Ukrainians need humanitarian aid and 9.3 million need food aid and shelter.
The UN presented 6,755 civilian deaths and 10,607 wounded as confirmed since the start of the war, underlining that these numbers are far below the real ones.
Source: DN
