Russia sends clear signal Putin will visit Donbass 'in due course'
[Global Times Special Correspondent Xiao Xinxin Global Times Special Correspondent Liu Yupeng] Russian President's Press Secretary Peskov said on the 3rd that President Putin will visit the Donbass region at an appropriate time because "it is a part of the Russian Federation", but he No specific dates or plans were disclosed.
Prior to this, many senior officials including Chairman of the Russian State Duma Volodin and Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Security Council Medvedev had inspected the area.
Increased focus on Donbass
Russian Federation News Agency reported on the 3rd that President Putin had a public conversation with residents of the Donbass region for the first time on the 2nd.
Russian political scientist Sergey Markov believes that President Putin's move sent a clear signal that the Donbass region, like other subjects of the Russian Federation, is an inalienable part of Russian territory, and the local residents are closely related to other Russian entities. Like the citizens of the region, Russia will not relinquish control of the region easily.
Ilya Grashenkov, director of Russia's "Regional Policy Development Center", said that Putin is increasing his attention to the new territory in order to dispel the worries of local residents about future life, and at the same time enhance Russia's recognition of the Donbas region and reduce the Differences between this region and other Russian territories.
Markov said: This is the line that President Putin has always insisted on, and local residents will enjoy all equal rights.
Ukraine is not surprised
Ukraine does not seem surprised that Putin will visit Donbass.
Ukraine's "New Times" magazine website reported on the 3rd that this is not the first time that Russia has announced that Putin will visit the occupied territories of Ukraine.
In September and November this year, Peskov made similar statements, saying that Putin would visit the Donbas region in the future, but did not announce the specific date and plan at that time.
The report believes that the uncertainty in the schedule of Putin's visit to the Donbas region essentially reflects the lack of confidence of the Russian army in the frontline battle situation and the loss of the initiative on the battlefield, and the inability to echo and support Putin's visit with sufficient results.
The Ukrainian "Pravda" website believes that Russia has adopted various means to legalize and justify its rule over Donbass, Crimea and other regions, but in practice it has counterproductive effects.
The report quoted Ukrainian political observer Mikhail Dubyansky as saying that Russia’s repeated signals that Putin will visit the Donbas region are nothing more than another attempt by Russia to “legalize” the territory it occupies and declared.
However, after the Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out, ensuring territorial integrity has become a real and undisputed value in Ukrainian society.
Dubyansky said that as the situation of the war is becoming more and more out of Russia's control, the Russian side's relevant actions will only stimulate the morale and fighting spirit of the Ukrainian army, and will not add any weight to Russia's victory.
Military operations will be accelerated
The fighting in the Donbas region remains stalemate.
According to a Ukrainian state news agency report on the 4th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 3rd that the direction of Donetsk is the most tense and painful battleground for the Ukrainian army when talking about the situation on the front line.
He posted a video on social platforms saying: "The commanders have reported the situation in the specific direction. On the Donbass front, Bakhmut and Soledar are now the same as before, the most intense and painful areas of fighting The Ukrainian army is still defending here." Zelensky also said that at the same time, the Ukrainian army is strengthening its forces in the direction of Lugansk and Kharkov, and plans to continue to weaken the Kherson and Zaporozhye areas. Russian military capabilities.
The Ukrainian National News Agency reported on the 4th that an expert from the U.S. Institute of War Research stated that neither Russia nor Ukraine will stop offensive operations in winter, and this is the best time for mechanized troops to participate in the war.
Environmental conditions in Udon will accelerate military operations in the coming weeks as winter sets in and the surrounding ground freezes.
At the same time, Western countries have not stopped interfering in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
According to Russian media, a source in the Russian security agency said on the 3rd that a joint force under the command of NATO arrived in the central city of Malganets in Ukrainian uniforms.
Russian "Izvestia" reported on the 4th that Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Konashenkov said on the same day that the Russian army successfully launched an offensive in the Bakhmut area of Donetsk Oblast.
The attack eliminated more than 50 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed some weapons and technical equipment.
Konashenkov said that in the south of Donetsk, the Ukrainian army tried to break through the settlement of Pavlovka.
Due to the aggressive actions of the Russian troops, the Ukrainian detachments were driven into minefields and destroyed by artillery fire.
The Ukrainian army's attack on the local Shevchenko settlement also ended in failure.
An attack by the Ukrainian army on the settlement of Kuzemovka in Lugansk was also repelled.
(Author: Xiao Xinxin and Liu Yupeng Source: Global Times)