Aggressive war in Ukraine
Putin announces attacks on eastern Ukraine – and threatens Kyiv
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin has announced further military strikes against Ukraine. photo
© Sergei Bobylev/Pool Sputnik Kremlin/AP/dpa
At a press conference in Uzbekistan, Russian President Putin threatened new “offensive operations” in eastern Ukraine. In addition, the head of the Kremlin addresses Ukraine’s recent successes for the first time.
Despite the heavy defeat of his army in the Kharkiv region, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced further attacks on eastern Ukrainian areas.
“Our offensive operations in Donbass are not suspended, they are progressing at a slow pace,” Putin said at a press conference concluding a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in central Asian Uzbekistan on Friday evening. “The Russian army is always taking over new territories,” Putin claimed.
Under pressure from Ukrainian counter-offensives, Russia’s armed forces withdrew almost completely from the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv last weekend.
Putin comments on Ukraine’s achievements
In Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Putin himself commented on his opponent’s successes for the first time. “Kiev’s leadership has declared that it has launched and is carrying out an active counteroffensive,” he said. “Well, let’s see how this one will develop and where it ends.”
The Kremlin chief also accused Ukraine of attempting to attack Russian nuclear power plants – and threatened: “If they ultimately don’t understand that such methods are unacceptable, there will be an answer.” So far there have been counterattacks as a warning. If the situation does not change, the answer will be “tougher”.
In addition, he said: “I draw your attention to the fact that we are not fighting with the entire army. We are fighting with only part of the Russian army, with the contract soldiers.” In particular since the withdrawal from Kharkiv, there have been calls in circles close to Putin for a general mobilization in the country. So far, however, it has been said from the Kremlin, where there is only talk of a “special military operation” in Ukraine, that this is not planned at the moment.