The United States prepares a new $ 1.1 billion arms package for Ukraine in anticipation of Russia's announcement of the annexation of the occupied territories of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson after referendums rejected as "farce "from Kiev and the majority of the international community.
This was reported by sources of the administration to the Reuters agency.
There will be Himars anti-missile systems already sent to the Kiev forces, ammunition and various types of anti-drone radar systems. The Biden administration is also preparing new sanctions against Moscow.
Yesterday, the pro-Russian authorities declared victory in the referendum to annex the new federal district of Crimea , whose presidential representative will probably be Dmitry Rogozin, the former director general of the Russian space agency Roskosmos.
According to the preliminary results of the count, in Lugansk the yes won with 98.52%, in Donetsk with 94.75%. In the Kherson area, where the counts have been completed, 87.05% of voters said yes. The count was also completed in Zaporizhzhia, where 93.11% of the voters said yes.
"Kiev cannot negotiate with Moscow after the annexation referendums," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky , speaking on video at the UN Security Council meeting.
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The day by the hour:
Merkel: "Putin does not bluff, he must be taken seriously"
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel urges to take Vladimir Putin seriously and to confront the Russian leader: "His words should be taken seriously", he said last night at a demonstration by the Helmut Kohl foundation, according to some German media reports. including Redaktions Netzwerk Deutschland. In light of the developments in the Ukrainian conflict, Merkel said: "Taking your words seriously, not dismissing them a priori as if they were a bluff but seriously confronting them is not a sign of weakness at all, but of political wisdom. A wisdom that helps to maintain some room for maneuver or develop new ones, "he added.
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"The offensive in Donetsk will continue"
"What I can say with absolute precision" is that "not all the territories of the Donetsk People's Republic have been liberated yet. We are talking about the territory that lies within the borders of 2014". The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, quoted by Ria Novosti, stating that the offensive in Donetsk will continue even after the possible annexation of new territories to Russia following the results of the referendums held in four Ukrainian regions, not recognized by the international community . Instead, Peskov added, "the territory of the Lugansk People's Republic has already been liberated".
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Putin: "We will save people in Donbass"
"In the current circumstances of the special military operation and the referendums that are taking place in the Donbass, the rescue of people in the territories where the referendum is taking place is in the first place, it is at the center of attention of our entire society at the national". This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting to discuss seasonal work on the field, according to reports from Tass.
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Kremlin: "No passport for those called to the draft"
Russia will no longer issue passports to people called up on the basis of the mobilization desired by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was announced by the government information portal, at a time when tens of thousands of people have already fled abroad. "If a citizen has already been called for military service or received a summons (for mobilization or military service), he will be denied an international passport", the portal reads.
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USA: "Americans leave Russia immediately"
American citizens are urged to "leave Russia immediately", using the "limited options" of commercial transportation still available. It can be read on the website of the US embassy in Moscow, cited by TASS.
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Filorussi: "After the referendum we move to a new phase of the battle"
"Now we move on to a new phase of fighting as part of the Russian Federation": said the head of the self-styled republic of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, according to Tass reports, after receiving the outcome protocol of the vote on the referendum and before leave for Moscow.
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Three Russian missiles against a city in the Zaporizhzhia region
This morning, Russia launched three missiles into the center of the city of Gulyaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region. This was stated by the president of the region Oleksandr Starukh on Telegram stating that "the enemy hit the city center with three S-300 missiles. A building that had the status of a historic monument has been destroyed. The road has been damaged. Information is expected. victims ". Ukrainska Pravda reports it.
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The Zaporizhzhia region asks Putin for annexation
Today the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia, occupied by Russian troops, will ask the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to be "annexed" to Russia after the results of the referendum: the Russian agency Tass writes. "On September 28, the authorities of the Zaporizhzhia region will turn to Putin with a request to accept the region in the Russian Federation," writes Tass, quoting the head of the pro-Russian regional authorities Vladimir Rogov.
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Poland: "If a devastating NATO response from Moscow"
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said NATO's response to any use of nuclear weapons by Russia in Ukraine will be "devastating". In an interview with the NBC talk show "Meet the Press", the minister, visiting Washington, warned that if Putin were to use the atomic bomb, NATO would react "in a conventional way", therefore not using a nuclear weapon, " but the answer will be devastating ". "This is the message the Alliance is sending to Russia right now," added the Warsaw minister.
(Unioneonline)