(Dan Tri) – President Vladimir Putin announced that Ukraine will be punished for its efforts to sabotage elections in Russia by shelling civilian targets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting on March 14 (Photo: Reuters).
`To disrupt the voting process and intimidate the (Russian) people, at least in the border areas, the Kiev authorities are trying to carry out attacks on settlements in Russia,` President Putin
President Putin warned that these enemy attacks `will be punished`.
The Kremlin boss’s warning was issued on the same day Russia held the start of voting to elect a president.
Mr. Putin said that 95% of Ukraine’s artillery shells and missiles in this attack on the border were shot down by Russian air defense forces.
According to the Russian leader, Ukraine’s armed proxy forces conducted four attacks on the Belgorod region and one attack on the Kursk region with a number of about 2,500 troops.
Mr. Putin confirmed that about 60% of Ukrainian-backed soldiers were killed and half of this force’s armored vehicles were lost.
`I’m sure our people, the Russian people, will respond to this with even greater solidarity. Who did they decide to threaten? The Russian people?`, Mr. Putin said.
Mr. Putin said that this escalation by Ukraine could also be a way for Kiev to promote its image, to show the Ukrainian public and Western countries that support Kiev some military advances.
On March 15, the Russian Ministry of Defense accused Ukraine of launching an attack on Russian territory in the Belgorod and Kursk regions from March 12-14.
Russia announced that its soldiers from the Zapad force and the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) `stopped all attempts by Ukraine to penetrate the territory of Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions, and repelled all
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the total losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to more than 1,500 troops, of which about 500 were unable to return to combat.
Previously, Ukraine said that three armed groups opposed to the Kremlin stationed in the country had attacked Russian territory.
Recently, Ukraine is also said to have continuously attacked targets within Russian territory, especially oil refineries.
