Kremlin chief issues decree declaring Russian ownership of Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant
Analysts assumed that once the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia were annexed to Russia, President Vladimir Putin would continue his escalation of the war, a new message to the nation and an “ultimatum” to Ukrainian forces to to withdraw. of their positions in those four areas, as they are now considered part of Russia by Moscow.
It was also expected that once the deadline for such an ultimatum passed, the current “special military operation” launched against Ukraine on February 24 would change status, either into a “defensive” offensive against an invading army or into an “anti-terrorist operation”, according to the model used in the two wars in Chechnya and requested in September by the leaders of the annexed territories.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov denied on Wednesday that such plans exist. “The information about this is not true,” he assured in his usual appearance for the journalists accredited to the Russian presidency. He stated that the head of state “has the privilege to change the set-up of the operation in Ukraine, but has not taken such a decision”.
What Peskov did promise is that the Ukrainian army will be expelled from the recaptured areas in Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Lugansk. These provinces, he added, “will remain Russian forever (…) they will be restored and we will continue to consult the population as to whether they want to belong to Russia.” Putin today promulgated the four new constitutional regulations amending the text of Russia’s Magna Carta in Article 65 of Section 3 (Federal Structure) by adding the names Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhie (Zaporiyia) thus speeding up the process of annexation to crown.
Despite the setbacks suffered by the Russian troops in Ukraine, with serious casualties and even the fact that they have to withdraw, Putin confirmed during the presentation of prizes to teachers that in those areas still in the hands of the Ukrainian armed forces “the situation will stabilize and we will be able to calm down to undertake its development. He argued that, despite the large number of civilians killed in the neighboring country and displaced by the war, “we have great respect for the Ukrainian people, their culture , language and literature.”
The Kremlin head also issued an order to declare Russia’s ownership of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. “The government must ensure that the nuclear power plant’s facilities are accepted as federal property,” the presidential decision read just on the eve of the arrival in Moscow of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Rafael Grossi. The Ukrainian nuclear power plant has been occupied by Russian troops since early March. Its director, Igor Murashov, was arrested on Friday, then released and finally fired with the aim of placing a specialist trusted in Moscow to his position.
Another decision passed by Putin this Wednesday is to promote Chechnya’s controversial president, Ramzán Kadírov, to the rank of colonel general, the third-highest position in the military ranks of the Russian armed forces. It has been a gift from Putin since Kadyrov, a fierce critic of the country’s current military leadership for their failures in Ukraine and a proponent of the use of nuclear weapons, turned 46 today.
This appointment comes amid rumors of possible layoffs among the generals, and even the resignation of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, a position the Chechen leader is aiming for, who boasted on his Telegram channel today that he had the confidence of the top Russian leader. . He was appointed Major General in 2009 at the age of 33. In 2020, he joined the National Guard, held the rank of major general and became a lieutenant general a month after the war in Ukraine started.
The rank of colonel general is the third highest command rank in the Russian military hierarchy, after army general and marshal. International organizations and the Russian opposition accuse Kadirov of committing atrocities in his republic and even behind numerous murders, including that of Boris Nemtsov. The Chechen leader has sent his units to fight in Ukraine and assures that three of his minor children will also go to the front.
Source: La Verdad
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