Moscow pledges to restore lost territories in the annexed territories

The Kremlin pledged Wednesday to restore the territories recently lost by Moscow in the regions it annexed in southern and eastern Ukraine, while ensuring that those areas remain with Russia “forever.”

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“These lands will be seized and we will continue to consult with the (local) population about their desire to live in Russia,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He was questioned about the exact boundaries of the annexed areas, as Russian forces had abandoned some positions after Ukrainian counterattacks.

And Dmitry Peskov insisted that “these lands will forever be with Russia, and they will be returned.”

On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin signed laws officially recognizing the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions in southern Ukraine, and the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in the east of the country, as parts of the Russian Federation.

But a mystery remains as to exactly what borders the Kremlin is claiming in these areas, where the fighting continues.

On Wednesday, Ukraine announced new military victories over the Russian army in the east of the country, after announcing the day before a breakthrough in the southern Kherson region.