Kremlin pretends to normalize situation in Ukrainian regions it temporarily occupies

The UK Ministry of Defense noted that on April 5, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a full meeting of the Russian Security Council, the first such event since October 2022.

In particular, it is noted that the main report was presented by Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, who discussed the restoration, law enforcement and public order in the illegally annexed territories of Ukraine.

“The choice of Kolokoltsev as the main speaker is likely an attempt by the Kremlin to portray the situation in those territories as being normalized,” the ministry tweeted. 

In fact, according to UK intelligence, a significant part of these territories remains a zone of active hostilities, subject to guerrilla attacks and with extremely limited access to basic services for many citizens.

• On April 8, an intelligence review by the UK Ministry of Defense reported that Russia's campaign to severely degrade Ukraine's energy system during the winter of 2022-2023 had likely failed.