- Title: With a grin, Putin warns Ukraine: the conflict can get more serious
- Date: 16th September 2022
- Summary: SAMARKAND, UZBEKISTAN (SEPTEMBER 16, 2022) (RUSSIAN POOL (VIA RUPTLY) - No new usage after 30 days) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN WALKING TO GREET JOURNALISTS JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "For decades, the West has cultivated the idea of the collapse of the Soviet Union, historical Russia and Russia as is, its core." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "Let alone the research by Mr. Brzezinski, where he already split the whole territory of our country into specific parts. But he later changed his stance after thinking that it was a better idea to keep Russia as the antipode to China and use it to fight China. Dream on! Let them solve their issues on their own somehow." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "During the conflict, there were attempts to commit acts of terror to inflict damage to our civilian infrastructure. Indeed, we have been rather self-restrained in our response to it for now. Recently, the Russian armed forces have inflicted a couple of sensitive blows. Let's say that they were a warning. If the situation continues to develop like this, then the response will be more serious." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "I do not know if this information has been made public already. There were attempts to commit acts of terror not on our nuclear objects themselves but near them - nuclear power plants on Russian territory. I am not even talking about the Zaporizhzhia power plant. We see all that and keep it under control, doing everything not to allow a negative turn of events. There will be a response if they don't understand that these methods are unacceptable; they practically do not differ from the way terrorists operate." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "The Kyiv authorities have announced that they have started an active counter-offensive operation. We'll see (SMILES) how it goes and how it ends." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "During the operation, the (army's) General Staff makes the decisions. Some things are considered key, the main target – and the main target is the liberation of the whole Donbas territory. This work continues, despite the attempts at a counter-offensive by the Ukrainian army. However, our offensive at the Donbas region is not stopping; it goes on, slowly, gradually, but the Russian army gains more and more territories. Let me highlight this: we are fighting with only a part of the Russian army, only the contract army. Naturally, this has to do with the particularly make-up of the personnel and so on. So, we are not in a hurry in this part; in general, there are no changes (to the plan)."
- Embargoed: 30th September 2022 17:30
- Keywords: PUTIN RUSSIA UKRAINE
- Location: SAMARKAND, UZBEKISTAN
- City: SAMARKAND, UZBEKISTAN
- Country: Uzbekistan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001593416092022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS WHITE FLASHES
President Vladimir Putin on Friday (September 16) brushed off a lightning Ukrainian counter-offensive with a smile but warned that Russia would respond more forcefully if its troops were put under further pressure.
Speaking after a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, Putin cast his country's military intervention in Ukraine as a necessary step to prevent what he said was a Western plot to break Russia apart.
Moscow, he said, was in no hurry in Ukraine. And its goals remained unchanged.
It was his first public comment on a rout of his forces in northeastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region a week ago that has prompted unusually strong public criticism from Russian military commentators.
Russia hit Ukrainian infrastructure in response - including a reservoir dam and electricity supplies - and Putin said those attacks could get worse.
"Recently, the Russian armed forces have inflicted a couple of sensitive blows. Let's assume they're a warning. If the situation continues to develop like this, then the response will be more serious," he said.
Putin also said Russia was gradually taking control of new areas of Ukraine.
Asked if what he calls the "special military operation" needed correction, he said: "The plan is not subject to adjustment."
The Donbas comprises two largely Russian-speaking provinces of eastern Ukraine - Luhansk, which is now fully under the control of Russian and Russian-backed separatist forces, and Donetsk, which they partially control.
However, Russia now occupies around a fifth of Ukraine in all, including much of the southerly Zaporizhzhia and Kherson provinces, in addition to Crimea, which it seized in 2014 and considers part of Russia. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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