He was commenting on attacks carried out by the Ukrainian military on residential areas of Russian cities in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), which have led to a number of civilian casualties.
In one such attack on January 20, a paramedic working in the city of Gorlovka was wounded while trying to provide assistance to victims following a previous round of shelling. On January 12, another paramedic was also killed during a Ukrainian attack on an ambulance brigade in the same city.
"What is called the Armed Forces of Ukraine has turned into a terrorist organization that attacks ambulances," Putin said.
The president recalled a story he heard last year about how Russian forces intercepted communications between two Ukrainian tank operators who were trying to enter Donetsk. One of the servicemen had just killed a man who had stepped out of his house, Putin said, when the other officer asked him "Why did you do that? He was just some guy wearing a tracksuit. He had a family, you can hear his children running around in the house."
The response, according to Putin:
"They're all terrorists here. What is this if not neo-Nazism? That's not to mention the rounds of applause for actual SS officers in the Canadian parliament and the blatant attacks on medical workers and ambulance vehicles."Russia knows of the tremendous strain put on medical personnel working in the territory of the DPR and other regions, he added, vowing to continue support for them. Work would be done to provide hazard pay to ambulance drivers, the president said.
Earlier this week, Putin claimed there is a need to create a larger "demilitarized zone" in Ukraine that would ensure that peaceful Russian cities would no longer be targeted by Kiev's foreign-made, long-range weapons.
Reader Comments
Now what could that mean? They are getting better and longer range weaponry from NATO, hence Russia must push farther into Ukraine to establish a safe no-man's land from which they can be assured their 'coastal' cities (in relation to E.U.) are safe from aerial bombardment, and/or sneak drone attacks / swarms...
Honestly it’s another attempt at the ghost of Kiev, definitely American propaganda!
“Filmed in Europe”: Experts deny the appearance of American M1A1 Abrams tanks near Avdiivka
Most probably fimed during the current exercise in a "safe" distance from the enemy ... what else could one expect ?