Vladimir Putin has asserted that all goals set in Ukraine will be achieved.
The Russian President made this comment in a video message released to mark the second anniversary of what Russia calls “Reunification Day;” two years since Moscow formally claimed the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as its own.
Having held referendums – widely condemned as shams – in the four regions on 30 September 2022, Putin signed a document with the Russian-installed leaders of the occupied regions to unilaterally incorporate them into the Russian Federation, despite Russia not fully controlling the territories.
He participated in an opening ceremony for new social facilities in these regions via video link.
Putin criticised “western elites” who he claims “turned Ukraine into their colony, a military base aimed at Russia” and who fanned “hate, radical nationalism … hostility to everything Russian.”
“Today we are fighting for a secure, prosperous future for our children and grandchildren,” Putin said.
Putin deems ensuring the security of Donbass and Novorossiya as the number one priority of the country’s authorities, while assuring that socioeconomic issues will not be pushed to the back burner.
“The most important task for all of us is fostering favorable conditions for developing these territories from the point of view of ensuring people’s security. This is task number one. However, we will not put off resolving economic and social issues. We will do this right now.”
Vladimir Putin
The Russian President emphasized that the people residing in these territories “need this not later but precisely now.”
“I am confident that all tasks that we set for ourselves in this field will undoubtedly also be fulfilled, much like security issues will be resolved,” Putin stated.
Putin congratulated all Russian citizens and particularly those residing in Donbass and Novorossiya with the reunification of these regions with Russia.
“I wish all the best to all of you and would like to thank you for what you are doing together for the revival of both Novorossiya and Donbass,” he concluded.
Separately, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that Russian troops liberated the community of Nelepovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine.
“Battlegroup Center units liberated the settlement of Nelepovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic in active operations,” the ministry said in a statement.
Additionally, Putin signed a decree to call up 133,000 conscripts for military service.
Frontline Regions Receive Hundreds Of Generators In Preparation For Potential Blackouts Over Winter
Meanwhile, seven frontline regions; Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Sumy and Chernihiv, received 600 generators as part of humanitarian aid ahead of winter.
The Ukrainian ministry of reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories noted on Telegram.
According to the ministry, the generators will be used to provide “uninterrupted power supply to social and healthcare institutions” and “staging areas” in the event of blackouts.
“The implementation of this project is a successful example of cooperation between central and local authorities and international partners to support the war-affected civilian population,” the ministry said.
Ukraine is much better prepared for the winter now than at the beginning of the war, with hospitals, critical infrastructure and many businesses having generator capacity.
Russia has already destroyed much of Ukraine’s energy capacity with its frequent attacks on the country’s energy facilities.
There are concerns that many Ukrainians will still have to cope with emergency blackouts over the winter if Russia pounds critical infrastructure then.
There will be intense pressure on the system as power demands will rise amid sub-zero temperatures.
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