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The Kremlin announced today that Russian forces intend to seize parts of eastern and southern Ukraine that Moscow has declared its territory.

Russia, however, has not clearly defined the goals of its military campaign, and Kremlin spokesman Peskov appears to have set limits on the Ukrainian territory his country now plans to annex, Reuters said.

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Moscow announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Khersonsk - after "referendums" in September, the results of which were dismissed as fake by Kyiv, the West and most UN member states.

None of the areas are fully under Russian control, and the Kremlin has never drawn clear boundaries of the annexation. 

When asked whether Russia would annex new territories outside the four oblasts, Peskov told reporters: "There is no doubt about it. At least there have been no statements on the subject. But there is still a lot of work to be done to liberate the territories. In some of the new regions of the Russian Federation there are occupied territories that must be liberated".

"I'm talking about parts of the Donetsk Republic, as well as territories that became part of the Russian Federation and were subsequently reoccupied by Ukrainian troops," he clarified.

In its counteroffensive, Ukraine pushed back the Russian army in a small part of Luhansk region.

Last month, Moscow's forces withdrew from all parts of the Kherson region it had until now controlled on the west bank of the Dnieper River, including the regional capital Kherson, according to Reuters.

The Russian military left Kherson

In his speech, Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the risks of Ukrainian attacks on the Crimean peninsula, reported France Press.

"There are risks - the Ukrainian side continues to follow its line of behavior and carry out terrorist attacks," he emphasized.

The Kremlin spokesman answered a journalist's question about the work of the Russian authorities on the Crimean Peninsula and their efficiency.

"I can't judge whether (their actions) are enough or not enough, you have to ask the military," he commented.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced today that the purpose of establishing a security zone around the Zaporizhzhia NPP is to "stop shelling from Ukraine", Reuters informed.

The two countries blame each other for the attacks on Europe's largest nuclear power plant.

The fear of a nuclear catastrophe following the continued shelling of the nuclear power plant under Russian control is the reason why the UN nuclear regulator - the International Atomic Energy Agency - is calling for the demilitarization of the area around it.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Dmitry Peskov

Kremlin