UPDATED: Russia could take full control of major Ukrainian cities – Kremlin
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LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia could take full control of major Ukrainian cities and cautioned the West that it had sufficient military clout to fulfil all of its aims in Ukraine without any need for help from China.
“The defence ministry of the Russian Federation, while ensuring the maximum safety of the civilian population, does not exclude the possibility of taking major population centres under full control,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Peskov said that some of Ukraine’s major cities were already surrounded by Russian forces.
When asked by Reuters about remarks by U.S. officials who had said that Russia had asked China for military equipment, Peskov said: “No.”
“Russia possesses its own independent potential to continue the operation. As we said, it is going according to plan and will be completed on time and in full.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the West on Monday to supply Ukraine with weapons and apply more sanctions on Russia to help prevent other countries being dragged into a wider conflict.
Ukraine has repeatedly urged its allies to do more to help it resist the Russian invasion that began on Feb. 24. Some Western governments fear that doing so could pull other countries, including NATO member states, into the war.
To those abroad scared of being ‘dragged into WWIII’. Ukraine fights back successfully. We need you to help us fight. Provide us with all necessary weapons. Apply more sanctions on Russia and isolate it fully. Help Ukraine force Putin into failure and you will avert a larger war.
“To those abroad scared of being ‘dragged into WWIII’. Ukraine fights back successfully. We need you to help us fight. Provide us with all necessary weapons,” Kuleba wrote on Twitter. “Apply more sanctions on Russia and isolate it fully. Help Ukraine force Putin into failure and you will avert a larger war.”
The Antonov aircraft plant in Kyiv has been shelled by Russian forces, the Kyiv city administration said on Monday.
The UK Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that Russian naval forces had established a distant blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea Coast, isolating Ukraine from international maritime trade.
Russian naval forces are continuing to carry out missile strikes against targets in Ukraine, the ministry said in its intelligence update posted on Twitter.
Russia could conduct further amphibious landing operations in the coming weeks, similar to the one conducted in the Sea of Azov, the update added.
