The press secretary of the President of Russia noted that one of the main goals of the special military operation was to protect the inhabitants of Donbass.
“As part of the protection of these people, these territories were formed, which were annexed as a result of the referendums held there.
That's what the president was talking about, ”RIA Novosti quotes Peskov.
Earlier, speaking about the SVO, Putin stressed that the appearance of the results of a special operation in support of the Donbass could become a "long process."
“New territories have appeared - well, that’s still a significant result for Russia, this is a serious issue.
And, to be honest, the Sea of Azov has become the inland sea of the Russian Federation, this is a serious thing, ”he said.
At the end of September, referendums were held in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, during which the majority of people voted in favor of joining Russia.