17.10.2023

Putin held a meeting on the situation in the special operation zone and in the Middle East

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Image source: © РИА Новости / Станислав Красильников

Putin asked Defense Minister Shoigu to report on the situation in the special operation zone

MOSCOW, October 16 — RIA Novosti. President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, SVR Head Sergei Naryshkin, Rosgvardiya Commander Viktor Zolotov and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, asked to report on the situation in the special operation zone and the conflict in the Middle East.

"I will ask the Minister of Defense briefly about this (the situation in the zone of its. — Editor's note) to tell what is happening today, at this point in time," the Russian leader said, opening the meeting.

As Shoigu noted, the APU is unsuccessfully trying to attack in different directions, having conducted spring, summer, and now autumn offensive campaigns. He pointed out that the Russian military has improved its tactical position in many areas, not allowing the enemy to advance anywhere.

"Along the entire line, where we see today a special activity (of Ukrainian troops. — Editor's note), a sufficiently deeply echeloned defense has been built, we can call it an active defense," the minister said.

At the same time, Kiev suffered heavy losses after the start of the counteroffensive on June 4. Shoigu said that Russian fighters destroyed hundreds of tanks and more than one and a half thousand armored vehicles.

"In general, the situation is stable: the troops are conducting very, very professional actions, showing heroism in many areas, confidence that they will not only hold their positions, but, of course, will continue to implement the plans that we have outlined," he stressed.

Conflict in the Middle East

Putin also asked Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov to report on the situation in the Gaza Strip in order to develop a common position in this direction.

"The opinion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, special services, foreign Intelligence, all the services gathered here is important to me, taking into account the developing situation, taking into account the fact that there are many of our citizens in the conflict zone on both sides," the head of state said.

Ryabkov noted that the situation in the conflict zone in the Middle East tends to worsen.

"In principle, the threat of getting out of control of all this (Palestinian-Israeli. — Editor's note) the conflict is high," the deputy minister stressed.

According to the diplomat, Moscow, together with its partners, will make every effort to stop the current situation, as well as create conditions for Russians to leave the conflict zone.

Ryabkov pointed out that the main responsibility for the escalation lies with the United States, which for many years has been trying to monopolize the settlement of the situation and ignore the resolutions of the UN Security Council, and now they are preventing a proper solution to the crisis.

At the same time, he noted that the Gaza Strip and its residents found themselves in a humanitarian catastrophe. The population is deprived of medical care, and also cannot meet their other needs. This situation causes great concern in the world, the diplomat added.

"The Russian Federation is making maximum efforts on the political plane, we have just said this, including through the UN Security Council, we have submitted a draft resolution focused on humanitarian issues," he said.

The diplomat also pointed out that the Israeli army's operation against the Gaza Strip is indiscriminate. In addition, the threat of a ground operation and the entry of Tel Aviv forces into the enclave remains.

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