Russian National Guard chief launches campaign to reassure President Putin of Russia Ukrainians support Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory, but the reality can’t be farther apart.
“I would like to emphasize that we can feel that the people of the liberated areas support us. We are aware of it,” director Viktor Zolotov told Putin. Kremlin.
with exchange videoPutin, looking visibly troubled and worried, holds the table while Zolotov shares his thoughts.
Zolotov’s efforts to give Putin the narrative that Ukrainians want Russia to acquire Ukrainian territories happen just the same way. Two US officials told The Daily Beast The Biden administration is concerned that Russia may be preparing to hold a fake referendum on seized Ukrainian territory to make it appear that Ukraine supports Russia’s aggression. Russia also held a fake referendum in Crimea that the United States and other allies repeatedly declared invalid after Russia took over the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014.
“The National Guard is fulfilling a wide range of objectives to maintain law, order and security and to resume peaceful life in the liberated territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics, as well as in the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions,” said Zolotov. continued.
Biden wants to stop Russia from another Crimean-style land grab
However, the reality on the ground is different. ukrainian army Russia is launching a counteroffensive in southern Ukraine to reclaim lands it occupied earlier in the war.
Zolotov’s allegations, which he does not provide evidence for, A series of embarrassing stumbling blocks For Russia in the war in Ukraine, and as Russia confronts the new Ukrainian threat in the South. As of Monday, the Ukrainian military has increased artillery fire in southern Ukraine, a source said. British intelligence assessment shared Tuesday.
Ukrainian forces also launched a counteroffensive against Kherson, one of the cities Russians captured earlier in the war. and so far, Ukrainian authorities They say they destroyed 159 Russian soldiers and 60 equipment.
It is not clear how much progress Ukraine has made, according to British intelligence. But Ukrainians have influence.
“Ukrainian long-range precision strikes continue to disrupt Russian supplies.” said the intelligence briefing.
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