According to a report by "Russia Today" TV station (RT) on May 17pennbattleiii6000hsRussian President Vladimir Putin said on the same day that Russia has no intention of occupying close to the Russian borderpennbattleiii6000hsKharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine. RT said that in recent days, Russian troops have made significant progress in the region.
RT said Putin responded to the Russian military's actions in the Kharkiv region in an interview and said the Russian military was achieving success on the battlefield by operating strictly according to the plan.
When asked about the goals of Russian troops 'military operations there, Putin said Ukraine was responsible for recent fighting in the region because Ukraine was still "shelling residential areas in Russian border areas, including Belgorod Oblast."
"There are civilians dying (in the Russian border area) and they are firing directly into the city center," Putin said. Putin also recalled that he had publicly warned the Ukraine government that if attacks continued, Russia would be forced to establish a "line of separation."
RT said Russian troops launched an offensive in the Kharkiv region last week, repelling Ukraine troops and occupying several border settlements. In an interview with ABC on the 16th, Ukraine President Zelensky described the local situation as "very serious" and stressed that Ukraine "cannot afford" the price of losing the city. U.S. State Department spokesman Patel also called the situation in the region "extremely terrible."
Russian media said that Putin first talked about the issue of "cordon" in March this year, when Uzbekistan launched several fatal attacks on Belgorod Oblast, killing dozens of civilians.
