Russia threatens to annex more Ukrainian regions
In a sign that Russia is not backing down from its aggression against Ukraine, Vice President of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev warned on Saturday that Moscow intends to annex more Ukrainian regions. In a Telegram message, he wrote that "there will be more new regions in Russia."
Medvedev also said that Russia's war will continue until the Ukrainian government is "completely destroyed" and "original Russian territories are liberated from the enemy."
Russia illegally annexed four Ukrainian regions in the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kherson, and Luhansk regions on September 30, 2022. The international community has condemned these actions and has declared that it does not recognize them as part of the Russian Federation.
Meanwhile, Kyiv leader Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday the creation of a defence industry alliance, which will include arms and military equipment manufacturers from around the world. In an intervention at the Defense Industries Forum in Kyiv, Zelensky mentioned that the first 13 companies have already become members of the alliance.
To boost investment, Ukrainian authorities promise a special regime of activity in the defense sector.
In addition, a special fund has been created to finance the industry. This will include money from the sale of confiscated Russian assets, Zelensky said.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
