The Kremlin claims that Russia does not currently seek to acquire any additional parts of Ukraine but instead wants to fully govern the ones that are already included. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday, there remains “a lot of work” to be done. Vladimir Putin, the president, is preparing his nation for a protracted conflict. Fighting is very fierce, particularly in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine was attacked by Russia on February 24. In contravention of international law, Moscow annexed the Ukrainian provinces of Luhansk, Donetsk, Cherson, and Zaporizhia at the end of September. However, Ukraine has recently recaptured some of the Russian-occupied regions, indicating that Russia does not have total military authority over the annexations.
Russians worry about Crimean attacks
Russia is concerned over Ukrainian attacks on the 2014 annexation of Crimea. According to the Russian news agency Interfax, Kremlin spokesman Peskov warned of the threat of an attack on the peninsula. Sevastopol, a city in Crimea, officials once more stated on Thursday that the Russian Black Sea Fleet had shot down a Ukrainian drone. Ukraine was charged with “planning terrorist attacks” by Peskov.
Additionally, the Kremlin spokesman dismissed claims made by Germany, for instance, that Ukraine should not confine itself to its own territory in order to defend itself against Russian aggression. Peskow foresaw a widening of the conflict as a result. Russian territory had most recently been repeatedly shelled. Ukraine makes only vague comments about these events.
On Thursday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj announced that fierce battle was still going on in his nation’s east. Recent Russian strikes on the Donetsk region city of Kurakhove resulted in the deaths of ten persons. He commented on the circumstances surrounding the small village of Bachmut, which is presently being bombarded extremely heavily: “There is a very tense conflict going on. Each meter matters.”
access to war prisoners
For the first time in months, the Red Cross claimed to have visited Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russian captivity. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) claimed that detainees have received letters from their loved ones, books, toiletries, blankets, and warm clothing throughout the past two weeks. Additionally, Ukrainian personnel could have visited the prisoners of war. According to ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric, “I anticipate that these visits will now lead to more frequent access to all POWs.”
According to the EU Commission, trade routes created as a result of the Russian aggressive war have already been used to export more than 17 million tons of grain from Ukraine. According to EU Transport Commissioner Adina Valean on Thursday, additional goods including petrol, animal feed, fertilizer, or humanitarian relief were also carried along these channels. Throughout the conflict, access to the Black Sea ports in Ukraine was severely restricted. In order to develop alternatives to exports via the Black Sea, the so-called solidarity corridors were established in May.