Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday, Sep. 16, there were no plans to adjust Russia’s military operations in Ukraine despite a counter-offensive, saying Moscow was in no rush to finish the campaign.
“The plan is not subject to adjustment,” Putin told reporters during a regional summit in Uzbekistan.
“Our offensive operations in Donbas itself do not stop. They are going at a slow pace… the Russian army is occupying newer and newer territories,” Putin said.
“We are not in a hurry… there are no changes.”
Putin said Russia was “not fighting with a full army” but only contract soldiers, and said the main goal of the campaign remained “the liberation of the entire territory of Donbas”.
He accused Ukrainian forces of attempts to carry out “terrorist acts” and damage Russian civilian infrastructure.
“We are really quite restrained in our response to this, for the time being,” Putin said. “If the situation continues to develop in this way, the response will be more serious.”
