Zelensky Adviser Warns Crimea of ‘Hot Season’

Moscow, March 10 – Mikhail Podolak, adviser to Vladimir Zelensky’s chief of staff, threatens Crimea with a “hot season” and promises to teach Ukraine to treat Ukraine with “respect and fear”.

“(The season will be in Crimea) hot. Very, very hot … Ukraine will make it clear that it must be treated not only with respect, but with great trepidation,” Podolak said in an interview with Ukrainian TV presenter Vasily Golovanov. Question, what will be the season in the Crimea. A video recording of the interview was posted on Golovanov’s YouTube channel.

Podolyak promised a bright “season of freedom” that would attract the attention of countries with “unstable” political systems.

Crimea became a Russian region in March 2014 after the referendum that followed the coup in Ukraine. In the 2014 referendum, 96.77% of voters in Crimea and 95.6% in Sevastopol were in favor of joining Russia. Ukraine still considers Crimea to be its temporarily occupied territory, and many Western countries support Kiev on this issue. For its part, the Russian leadership has repeatedly stated that the people of Crimea voted for democratic reunification with Russia, in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Crimea issue has been “permanently closed.”

Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. President Vladimir Putin described his goal as “protecting people who have been bullied and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years”. And for this, according to him, it is planned to carry out the “demilitarization and demilitarization of Ukraine”, to bring to justice all the war criminals responsible for “bloody crimes against civilians” in Donbass.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces only hit the military infrastructure and forces of Ukraine and, as of March 25, have completed the main tasks of the first stage – they have significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The ultimate goal of the operation, according to the Supreme Commander, is “the liberation of Donbass and the creation of conditions that ensure the security of Russia itself.”