Russia intends to occupy the entire territory of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, which dictator putin included in the russian constitution in the fall of 2022. This was stated by Viktor Vodolatsky, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration, and Relations with Compatriots, in a comment to TASS.
As justification, he cited the results of illegal referendums that russia conducted in the occupied territories.
In particular, he made the following statement about the Kherson oblast:
“The territory of the Kherson oblast is the territory of the russian federation, which is currently occupied (this is how russians refer to the legally Ukrainian territories not seized by the russian army – ed.). Peaceful residents held a referendum, they joined russia, and we are obligated to liberate our land”.
As previously reported, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes that for a peaceful settlement between russia and Ukraine, both sides will have to make concessions, possibly territorial ones.