Kyiv declares to fight to regain all territory

Ukraine is fighting to regain all the territory currently controlled by Russia, and any information that the country is changing the goals of the war is fake news, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov during his visit to Berlin (Germany) on September 4.

Defense Minister talks about Ukraine's goals

"Territorial integrity is part of our values," Reuters quoted Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov at a joint press conference with his Norwegian counterpart in Oslo on November 15.

Asked about reports that Ukraine was shifting its focus in the war with Russia, Umerov dismissed the reports and insisted that Ukraine's goals remain steadfast.

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"Our priority remains the protection of our people and our territory," Umerov said, adding that retaking Donbass and Crimea were part of the Kyiv government's plans. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

Earlier, The New York Times quoted a number of Ukrainian officials as saying that Kyiv was considering ensuring security as the top priority in negotiations with Russia and was beginning to reduce the priority on regaining lost territory.

Russian artillery in Ukraine

Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense

Russia captures more villages, Ukraine launches UAVs

On the same day, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had taken control of five villages in Donetsk and Kharkiv during the week of November 9-15.

Specifically, Russian units captured the village of Kolesnikovka in Kharkiv province, and the villages of Voznesenka, Volchenka, Stepanovka and Rovnopol in Donetsk, according to TASS.

Also last week, Russia carried out a total of 42 attacks using precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on Ukrainian military positions, destroying a factory producing components for Sapsan missiles.

The Russian Defense Ministry recorded that the Ukrainian army lost more than 15,500 soldiers on all fronts from November 9-15.

Ukraine has not commented on this information.

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In another development, Kyiv Independent quoted Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratiev as saying that the area was hit by a heavy attack by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) late on November 14 and early on November 15. One of the districts attacked had a military airport.

Russian air defense systems intercepted 36 UAVs over the Krymsk and Krasnoarmeisk districts. Falling UAV debris caused damage to residential buildings. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

Russia said the German government was the one who proposed the phone call.

Phone call between German and Russian leaders

On November 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had their first phone call in nearly two years.

DW quoted the official spokesman for German cabinet ministers Steffen Hebestreit as saying that during the hour-long phone call, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz persistently persuaded Russia to be ready to negotiate with Ukraine to achieve a fair and lasting peace.

The leader also said that Berlin was committed to supporting Kyiv for as long as necessary, and that this promise would never be shaken. Mr Scholz also urged Mr Putin to end the fighting and withdraw troops.

For his part, President Putin said he was ready to sit down at the negotiating table with Ukraine. However, any potential agreement to end the fighting in Ukraine would have to reflect “new territorial realities,” Russia’s security interests, and the roots of the conflict, the leader said.

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Before speaking with Mr. Putin, the German Chancellor also spoke with President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, Mr. Zelensky warned that Germany's resumption of dialogue with Russia could ease the pressure of isolation on the Russian leader.

President Putin has not spoken to most NATO and Western leaders since launching a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

Within NATO, the Russian leader currently maintains contacts only with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chien-su-ukraine-ngay-996-kyiv-tuyen-bo-chien-dau-gianh-lai-toan-bo-lanh-tho-18524111519491816.htm