The Kremlin on Wednesday said that the "special military operation" in Ukraine must continue until Russia takes full control of east Ukraine's Donetsk region.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the military campaign in Ukraine would continue "at a minimum" until the "liberation" of the "Donetsk People's Republic," referring to the region's Russian-backed administration.
Russian-installed head of Ukraine's Kherson region asks Putin for incorporation into Russia
The Russian-installed administrator of Ukraine's Russian-controlled Kherson region on Wednesday published a request to President Vladimir Putin, asking him to incorporate the region into Russia.
In a letter published on his Telegram account, Vladimir Saldo said that residents of Kherson region had made "a historic choice" in favor of Russia, referring to a Russian-organized referendum that both Ukraine and Western countries said was a sham.