Russia has received an official statement from the Vatican apologizing for Pope Francis' racially-charged remarks against Chechens and Buryats, so the incident is over, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova revealed at a briefing Thursday.
15 DEC, 18:47 "It just so happens that within these hours, we received a letter through diplomatic channels from the Vatican, which contains an official statement on behalf of Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin in connection with the pontiff’s aforementioned statement," the diplomat revealed, "That statement says, in particular, the following: ‘The Vatican Secretariat of State apologizes to the Russian side. The Holy See has the utmost respect for all peoples of Russia, their dignity, faith and culture, as well as for other countries and peoples of the world'."
"The ability to admit one's mistakes is increasingly rare in contemporary international communication. This situation shows that behind the Vatican's calls for dialogue stands the ability to conduct this dialogue and to listen to the interlocutors. I can tell you right now that this approach evokes sincere respect," Zakharova stressed, "We think that this incident is over and we hope that we will continue constructive cooperation with the Vatican".
Earlier, Pope Francis in an interview with US media uttered derogatory remarks about the Chechens and Buryats calling them "the cruelest" of the Russian troops stationed in Ukraine.
Peace agreements with Kiev impossible after massive shelling of Donetsk — DPR head
Further peace talks with Ukraine are impossible after the most intense strike on Donetsk since 2014, inflicted by Ukraine on Thursday, acting DPR head Denis Pushilin said on Russian TV.
"If we talk seriously, then there can be no talk about agreements with Kiev. First, Kiev is not independent. We’ve learned that during the Minsk talks. Second, it also does not seem possible to count on guarantors of agreements, whoever they may be. We’ve seen the recent statement by [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel, who effectively confessed in actions, aimed at non-implementation of the Minsk Agreements. The level of trust for European states is close to zero," he said.
According to Pushilin, the DPR see no objective preconditions to talk about negotiations with the US as well.
"Washington is complacent with both this conflict and the gradual loss of Europe’s economic potential, who gradually stops being the US’ competitor even in theory. So, there is no one to negotiate with, we only have to win [on the battlefield]. There are no other ways to stop this conflict, these shellings, war crimes of the Kiev regime and its accomplices - the Western states," the official noted.
He noted that, if in 2014-2015, only the outskirts of Donetsk were shelled, today, the entire territory of the city is being targeted by massive strikes.
Pushilin also noted that about 1 million people currently live in Donetsk.
"If we count the Donetsk agglomeration, which is also being shelled - Makeyevka, Gorlovka, Yasinovataya - then the approximate population reaches 1.5 million people," the acting head said.
He reiterated that artillery strikes will stop only after Donetsk becomes unreachable for Ukrainian artillery.
"We cannot count on anything else. These are outright war criminals, who will definitely shell and harm civilians, if they can. So only the efforts of our boys, who liberate our land with weapons in their hands, can help stop the shelling of Donetsk," he underscored.
Russian troops wipe out command posts of two Ukrainian army brigades — top brass
Russian forces struck the command posts of two Ukrainian army brigades in the Kharkov Region in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Thursday.
"Missile troops and artillery struck the command posts of the Ukrainian army’s 92nd separate mechanized brigade near the community of Petropavlovka and 105th territorial defense brigade in the area of the settlement of Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region, and also 45 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 86 areas," the spokesman said.
Russian forces delivered artillery and heavy flamethrower fire, thwarting an attempt by Ukrainian army units to advance in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kupyansk direction, preemptive artillery and heavy flamethrower fire and army aviation strikes thwarted an enemy attempt to attack the Russian troop positions in the area of the settlement of Sofiyevka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
Russian forces eliminated enemy manpower and military equipment during the battles, the general said.
"As many as 35 Ukrainian servicemen, a combat armored vehicle and three pickup trucks were destroyed," Konashenkov reported.
Russian army aviation and artillery strikes thwarted a counter-attack by four Ukrainian assault groups in three communities in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the past day, the general said.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, army aviation strikes and artillery fire thwarted an attempt by four assault groups of the Ukrainian army to counter-attack in areas near the settlements of Ploshchanka, Golikovo and Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
Russian forces eliminated over 40 Ukrainian troops, an infantry fighting vehicle and three armored vehicles in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.
Russian forces continued their offensive in the Donetsk area, gaining new advantageous positions in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Donetsk direction, Russian troops continue their offensive operations, as a result of which they have taken new advantageous frontiers and positions. During the last 24-hour period, the enemy made unsuccessful attempts to regain its positions in areas near the settlements of Severnoye and Krasnogorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. All the Ukrainian army’s counter-attacks were repelled," the spokesman said.
In the past 24 hours, the enemy’s losses in that area amounted to about 30 soldiers killed and wounded, an armored personnel carrier and two motor vehicles, the general specified.
Russian forces eliminated two Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups near Pavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the area of the settlement of Pavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two subversive/reconnaissance groups of the Ukrainian armed forces were eliminated," the spokesman said.
Russian combat aircraft and artillery struck the Ukrainian army’s reserves in the southern Donetsk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the southern Donetsk direction, air strikes and artillery fire struck the enemy’s reserves in the area of the settlement of Dobrovolye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
The Ukrainian army’s casualties in that area in the past 24 hours amounted to 40 troops killed and wounded and four destroyed motor vehicles, the general specified.
Russian forces wiped out a US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the area of the settlement of Kleshcheyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar of US manufacture was destroyed," the spokesman said.
In addition, in the area of Kupyansk in the Kharkov Region, Russian forces wiped out an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army. In the area of the community of Tyaguinka in the Kherson Region, they obliterated a depot of the Ukrainian army’s armaments, military and special hardware. In the town of Orekhov in the Zaporozhye Region, they destroyed a depot of the Ukrainian army’s supplies and equipment, the general specified.
The Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a MiG-29 fighter jet and a Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a MiG-29 plane of the Ukrainian Air Force in the area of the settlement of Yablonovka. In the area of the community of Nikolayevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down," the spokesman said.
Russian air defense forces destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and two Uragan rockets in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Stepnoye, Novoandreyevka, Volnoye and Nikolskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Sadovoye and Semyonovka in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.
In addition, they intercepted two rockets of the Ukrainian Uragan multiple launch rocket system in the area of the settlement of Novogorovka in the Zaporozhye Region, he added.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 344 Ukrainian warplanes, 184 helicopters, 2,669 unmanned aerial vehicles, 396 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,127 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 931 multiple rocket launchers, 3,685 field artillery guns and mortars and 7,614 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.
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