Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted today that the situation in the four regions of the south and east Ukrainian which Moscow has annexed without bringing them fully under its control is “extremely difficult”.
“The situation in the People’s Republics of Donetsk, Luhansk as well as in the provinces of Kherson and Zaporizhia is extremely difficult,” said Putin.
The Russian president made these statements in a video addressed to employees of the security service (FSB), the counterintelligence service (SVR) and the protection of high-ranking persons (FSO) on the occasion of the Day of Security Services celebrated in Russia on December 20.
Putin welcomed the work of these services which operate “in the new provinces of Russia”, assuring that “the people who live there, Russian citizens” depend on members of the security services for their “protection”.
The Russian president, a former agent of the Soviet Union’s secret services (KGB) himself, asked the counterintelligence services to be extra careful.
“It is necessary to resolutely suppress the actions of foreign secret services and effectively identify traitors, spies and saboteurs,” he underlined, as broadcast by international agencies and relayed by the Athens News Agency.
In September Moscow announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson – which the Russian military partially controls after holding “referendums”.
However, in November Ukraine recaptured Kherson, the capital of the province of the same name, dealing a blow to Moscow.
Source: News Beast
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