Moscow: The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited headquarters of the Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. A video released by the Kremlin early Tuesday showed Putin visiting the command post for Russian forces in the southern Kherson region. It showed Putin receiving reports from the top military brass. He then moved by helicopter to the headquarters of the Russian National Guard in the Luhansk region to hear reports about the situation there.
Russia took the Kherson and Luhansk regions into its fold along with the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions in September in a move that was rejected by most of the world as illegal annexation. It was impossible to independently verify the footage released by the Kremlin. The trip marked a second visit by Putin to the areas that Russia occupied in Ukraine in as many months.
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The Russian attack on Ukraine has crossed one year with Ukraine President Zelenskky pressing on to defend his country from falling into the hands of the Russians. The Russian assault has also hit a stalemate. The Western world has backed Ukraine with aid and military ammunition. However none has put boots on the ground against the Russians, in a bid to prevent escalation of the conflict.
In the recently concluded G7 talks, Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries have condemned Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and warned that any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Moscow would be met with "severe consequences." In a joint statement issued after two days of talks in the resort town of Karuizawa in central Japan, top diplomats of the G7 countries reiterated their call on third parties to "cease assistance to Russia's war, or face severe costs."
"We will reinforce our coordination to prevent and respond to third parties supplying weapons to Russia and continue to take actions against those who materially support Russia's war against Ukraine," the communique read. (With Agency inputs)
