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Russian President Vladimir Putin assured that the situation in four areas occupied by his troops in eastern and southern Ukraine is “extremely difficult” and called for strengthening the operations of his intelligence agencies. An unusual statement, after the visit to Belarus where he denied an alliance with that country to relaunch its invasion. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited his forces in the city of Bakhmut, on the front line of the battle, on December 20.
Russian President Vladimir Putin calls on his intelligence agencies to strengthen operations “in all areas,” citing “new risks” in newly annexed Ukrainian regions in disputed referendums.
“The rapidly changing global situation and the emergence of new threats and challenges place great demands on the entire system of Russia’s security agencies. This means that their work in key areas needs to be significantly improved and their operational, technical and personnel to the maximum,” Putin said in a speech on the Day of the Security Agency Workers, this Tuesday, December 20, broadcast by the state news office TASS.
Putin called for special attention in areas of four Ukrainian regions occupied by his troops: Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, and Zaporizhia and Kherson in the south.
His statements came after in an unusual intervention during his visit to Belarus, a day before, he admitted an “extremely difficult” situation in those places.
His military units have suffered setbacks in recent months, while a Ukrainian counter-offensive has been largely successful as it seeks to retake its territories, backed by Western-supplied weapons, including US-made Himars missiles.
Moscow describes the actions of the local Army to recover its territories as acts of “terrorism”.
“You have vast experience in the fight against terrorism, so it is necessary to maintain efforts to prevent terrorist attacks in a systemic and consistent manner,” Putin insisted on all special services, mainly the Federal Security Service (FSB).
He also urged counterintelligence operations to mitigate the work of Western agencies, which have supported kyiv since Russia ordered war on February 24.
They must show “the utmost willingness and concentration. It is necessary to put an end once and for all to the activities of foreign special services and quickly identify traitors, spies and saboteurs,” the president stressed.
Hours earlier, during his visit to Minsk, Putin also called for the strengthening of border security and denied that he intends to drag his ally country, which borders northern Ukraine, into becoming directly involved in the conflict.
Zelensky visits Bakhmut, on the front lines of the battle
As Putin urges strengthening the work of his spy agencies, especially in the eastern regions of the invaded country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited his troops there.
The president arrived on Tuesday in Bakhmut, a city in the Donetsk Oblast, and one of the main lines on the front lines of the war, where he delivered awards to his military and tried to reinforce the morale of his soldiers.
The head of state renewed calls for military cooperation by his Western allies, after last Monday dozens of drones launched by Moscow hit energy targets, in what was the third massive air attack against electrical installations in six days.
Zelensky called for more “weapons, missiles, new defense capabilities, everything that will give us the possibility to hasten the end of this war.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky greets Ukrainian fighters on the front line in Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast during an unannounced visit on Dec. 20.
Video by Ukrainian public broadcaster Freedom. pic.twitter.com/mLmJ6RfM4w
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) December 20, 2022
The attacked nation’s military said it shot down 30 of the 35 “kamikaze” drones dropped by Russia, mainly over kyiv, the capital.
As a result of those attacks, at least five people were killed in Donetsk and eight were injured in Kherson. In addition, the launch of 21 Russian missiles caused power outages in Zaporizhia.
Moscow reinforces its strategy, initiated since last October, with which it hits critical infrastructure to deprive civilians of water, electricity and heating services, when temperatures are below zero. Washington accuses Moscow of using winter as a new weapon of war.
Despite the efforts of local workers to resume services, the magnitude and continuity of the assaults make the work more difficult and take longer.
After the new barrage of shells on Monday, kyiv Oblast Governor Oleksii Kuleba indicated that several districts may take days to restore electricity.
With local media
