Ukraine Trying to Torpedo Russian Presidential Elections: Putin

During a Security Council meeting on Friday, President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to sabotage the presidential elections with border attacks.

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"In order to sabotage the elections and scare people in various border regions with Ukraine, the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev is attempting to carry out demonstrative military actions," he said.

"These enemy attacks cannot and will not go unpunished," Putin warned, emphasizing that the Russian people will respond to foreign threats with "even greater unity."

"To whom have they decided to intimidate? To the Russian people? To the multinational people of Russia? That has never happened and I am sure it will never happen," he stressed.

The Russian leader also denounced that Ukrainian attacks have been primarily aimed at the regions of Belgorod and Kursk.

"Close to 95 percent of the enemy's missiles and projectiles have been destroyed by anti-aircraft defense. However, unfortunately, we have civilian casualties," he said, specifying that Ukraine attacked the Belgorod region with 15 Czech-made Vampire missiles, resulting in the deaths of two people, according to available data so far.

Since March 12, the Ukrainian army has been using special units of foreign mercenaries to try to "enter and consolidate" Russian territory, Putin denounced.

"They carried out a whole series of sabotage and terrorism attacks, four in the Belgorod region and one in the Kursk region. They used over 2,500 personnel, 35 tanks, and close to 40 armored combat vehicles," he said.

"Nevertheless, the enemy failed to succeed... they were repelled and retreated, or rather, the enemy fled with a large number of casualties. They lost close to 60 percent of their personnel and over half of their armored vehicles," Putin pointed out.

On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that Ukrainian troops suffered over 1,500 casualties, 500 of them fatal, in their attacks since Wednesday.