Putin admits ‘extremely difficult’ situation in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine
Mike Brest
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In a rare admission, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that the situation in the occupied Ukrainian territories Moscow claimed to annex was “extremely difficult.”
Putin and Kremlin officials have largely hidden the disastrous results of the war from the Russian people, though Putin’s latest reveal behind the curtain, which occurred in a Tuesday video message addressed to troops on a holiday dedicated to Russia’s security services, provides one of the few moments in which Putin’s discarded that facade.
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Despite the tough conditions, the Russian leader said, “The people living there, the citizens of Russia, rely on you, on your protection. And it is your duty to do everything necessary to ensure their security, rights, and freedoms as much as possible. For our part, we will continue to strengthen the new units with modern equipment and weapons, as well as experienced personnel.”
He also called on the Federal Security Service to lead in “the fight against terrorism,” which he described as “among the main priorities,” and said, “Places of mass stay of citizens, strategic facilities, transport, and energy infrastructure should be under constant control.”
In September, Russian authorities held four sham referendums in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson that supposedly showed that an overwhelming number of residents supported joining the Russian Federation, though Western leaders universally denounced the processes as illegitimate. In November, Russian forces retreated from Kherson, the only regional capital they had captured during the war.
Also on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited troops fighting in Bakhmut, Donetsk, which has seen some of the bloodiest parts of the war.
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“The President visited the front positions of one of the mechanized brigades, whose personnel confronts the enemy on the approaches to the city,” Zelensky spokesman Sergii Nykyforov said in a Facebook post. “The Head of State heard the commander’s report on the operational situation, material and technical support and suggestions for further action. While in the area of combat, Zelensky thanked the Ukrainian soldiers for the courage, resilience and strength they demonstrate by repelling enemy attacks.”
Putin touched down in Belarus for a sit-down with his counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, on Monday. Lukashenko, who has been in power for nearly three decades, represents Putin’s closest ally remaining as he let Russian forces amass at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border ahead of their invasion last February, which provided them with a shorter distance for the troops to reach the capitol of Kyiv, though he has refused thus far to join the war militarily.