Putin needs results in war before announcing the presidential campaign

Obsession with the war has become the only sense for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who now needs to show at least some achievements in the war against Ukraine before announcing his presidential campaign.

According to Ukrinform, this was stated by Ukraine's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, Yevhen Tsymbalyuk, during a regular meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday.

"Russia's obsession with war has become the only reason for the Kremlin's existence. Intense fighting continues along the entire front line," the Ambassador said.

He said the hottest spots are Kupyansk, Lyman, Maryinka, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.

"The huge losses of the Russian army near Avdiivka indicate that the Russian president needs certain achievements, regardless of the price, before announcing his presidential campaign," said Tsymbalyuk.

The Ukrainian ambassador also spoke about Russia's continuing campaign of terror against the civilian population: "Since November 29, Russia has attacked Ukraine with 21, 20, 25, 11, 12, 23, 17, 48 and 18 Shahed drones, respectively. Night after night. Last night, Russia attacked the port infrastructure in Izmail again."

The head of the Ukrainian mission to the OSCE also pointed out that Russia continues to pose huge risks of nuclear incidents for the entire region. He recalled that on November 29, the IAEA team heard several explosions near the Khmelnytsky NPP, far from the front line. In addition, the IAEA reported several missiles fired from an area close to the Zaporizhzhia NPP the day before.

"Using a nuclear power plant as a shield for Russia's military activities is more than a war crime. It is a crime against humanity," emphasized Tsymbalyuk.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 08/12/2023