MOSCOW – The Kremlin asserted on Tuesday that a significant number of residents in Ukraine’s southern regions of Odesa and Mykolaiv quietly wish to “link their fate to Russia,” though fear for their safety prevents them from speaking publicly. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the remarks in response to a question on whether these regions would join Russia if given the opportunity to hold a referendum. He offered no evidence to substantiate the claim, but suggested that expressions of support would be “life-threatening” for locals.
Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 claiming to defend Russian speakers, has often left its territorial ambitions deliberately vague. That year, it declared four Ukrainian regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, part of its territory after staging referendums dismissed by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive. Any indication from Moscow that other regions may harbor pro-Russian sentiment is viewed with alarm in Ukraine, where fears persist of further attempts at annexation. Both Odesa and Mykolaiv, located along the Black Sea, have been repeatedly targeted by Russian missile and drone strikes since the war began, though Moscow denies intentionally striking civilians.
Despite declaring annexation of four regions, Russia still does not fully control them militarily. Influential figures such as former President Dmitry Medvedev have suggested that Moscow should eventually seize deeper territories, including the Black Sea ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv. Such a move would strip Ukraine of its coastline, reducing it to a landlocked state. Russia had previously annexed Crimea in 2014.
Meanwhile, Peskov also commented on European security measures, criticizing plans by EU states to build a so-called “drone wall” following recent drone-related disruptions at airports in Denmark and Norway. He argued Europe would be better off seeking dialogue with Russia over security concerns rather than strengthening defensive barriers. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has yet to issue an official response to Peskov’s latest remarks.