Putin spokesman hints: Russia will defend annexed areas with nuclear weapons if necessary
Created: 10/19/2022 12:41 p.m
By: Stephanie Munk
In the Ukraine war, Putin's regime illegally annexed four regions.
His spokesman is said to have said that these are under Russia's nuclear protective umbrella.
News ticker.
Moscow - Russia apparently wants to defend the four annexed Ukrainian regions with nuclear weapons if necessary.
This is what Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said, reported the British newspaper
The Telegraph
on Tuesday (October 18).
According to the report, a journalist asked Peskov whether the annexed regions were under Russia's nuclear shield.
"Their security is ensured at the same level as for the rest of Russian territory," the Kremlin spokesman is said to have replied.
"These territories are inalienable parts of the Russian Federation."
Russian President Vladimir Putin with his spokesman Dmitry Peskov in the background.
© Valery Sharifulin/Imago
Putin has repeatedly threatened to use "any means" to defend Russian territory
Putin has also repeatedly threatened to resort to "any means" to defend Russian territories, most recently during his speech when he officially announced the annexation of the four Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk.
The annexations are internationally condemned as illegal.
However, the annexed areas are not fully under Russian control and their borders are unclear.
In the Cherson region in particular, Ukraine launched a massive counter-offensive to liberate the area.
Russia started evacuating civilians in the region on Wednesday (October 19), and the occupier's administration is also being evacuated.
(smu)
