Security advice – Newspaper Kommersant No. 59 (7504) dated 04/06/2023

On April 5, a meeting of the Security Council was held in the Kremlin, dedicated specifically to security – in the new territories. Special Correspondent “Kommersant” Andrey Kolesnikov I would like to understand how long the residents of these territories will have to wait for this security. What’s more, the residents want it.

The last time a meeting of the Security Council was opened to the general public, as you know, more than a year ago, on February 22, 2022. And it was remembered. It just stuck in my memory.

Well, why not pay attention to another meeting open to the world? Especially since the heads of all four new subjects of the federation sat at the same table with Vladimir Putin in the situational center of the First Corps of the Kremlin – as if it was necessary. That is, as if it had always been like this … That is, …

In general, everything was arranged in such a way that the Kremlin was preparing for something else … How should I say it, resonant … Or they had already prepared (I’ll say right away: it seems to have worked out).

“Today we have to discuss further work to ensure the rule of law, law and order and public security in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions,” the president warned.

– The task is to do everything to integrate these historically Russian lands of Donbass, Novorossiya into the economic, legal, educational space of our country as soon as possible.

It is obvious that this is still a long way off. Otherwise, the Security Council would not have been assembled on this occasion.

Vladimir Putin added that there are successes, “housing, roads, educational, cultural, health facilities are being actively restored, industrial and agricultural enterprises are being launched … the mechanism of preferential mortgages at 2% per annum has begun to operate.”

The latter circumstance should, of course, provoke the inhabitants of other subjects of the federation. But not worth it. The cons so far outweigh the pros.

“At the same time, I repeat: the situation in these regions remains tense. The Kiev regime continues to commit grave crimes against civilians living there,” Vladimir Putin said.

But the Russian army is not seen in anything like that.

“Moreover, neo-Nazis and their accomplices operate not only on the territory of the new subjects of the federation, but also commit crimes in other regions,” the Russian president added.

He seems to be constantly getting new information.

“In addition, purely criminal elements, including organized crime, drug dealers, financial fraudsters, and so on, are trying to take advantage of the situation that has developed in the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions,” Vladimir Putin admitted.

Meanwhile, “so on” is at least no less disturbing than everyone else.

“As I already noted, it is imperative to rely on local personnel, on professionals proven in the field — brave, principled people who know the real situation,” the president continued.

The main thing at the same time is for all participants in the process to be sure that at some point, for example, a decision will not be made that it is now more expedient to leave some part of the territory from the new ones than not to leave.

The surprise was that Vladimir Putin once again drew attention to ordinary banditry (that is, the situation is dramatic):

— And again I note: in all four regions, increased attention should be paid to the fight against crime, including the prevention and suppression of grave and especially grave crimes, attempts to take possession of other people’s property. Now the proportion of such crimes among the registered is quite high.

And, apparently, it is definitely not lower.

“And what I want to emphasize in particular is that the enemy uses his underground, which has not yet been finished off, to intimidate people, including various neo-Nazi and other radical groups,” Vladimir Putin said. “We need to act tough and effectively here.

Thus, it is openly recognized that the underground exists, and, apparently, systemic, if it is spoken about out loud as another such serious problem.

Another remark of the Russian President is, no doubt, fair:

– The vast majority of citizens in the new regions not only made their conscious historical choice, stand for unity with Russia, but also honestly, courageously fulfill their duty, establish production, conduct business, work in hospitals, kindergartens, schools, universities, housing and communal services cities and towns, in local authorities and law enforcement agencies. They must know, see and feel that our entire large country is behind them, and we must do everything to protect them.

This would be especially desirable.

Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin immersed those present in the details.

– We entered the winter with almost all the facilities running, – said the vice-premier. – And these are 48 thousand objects, 11 thousand km of communications … In total, thousands of houses were prepared for winter. Gas workers actually restored hundreds of kilometers of existing gas pipelines, built a gas pipeline jumper to Melitopol, which is 72 km, thereby creating an independent gas supply system from the Ukrainian system … In four months, a gas pumping station was built in Kerch, on the territory of Crimea, a gas pumping station was built, which also supplies Crimea, and the required gas pressure for the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

Marat Khusnullin already told Vladimir Putin about Mariupol when he was there, but now, of course, he repeated it.

“Our opponents tried to set up a water blockade by blowing up the intake device of the water canals, undermining the existing water canals, but we worked, built seven water conduits and were able to provide the necessary minimum…” he said. Don to Donetsk. This is 200 km, we have never built such a water pipeline with such a capacity in such a period of five months. Today it is completely ready… In the near future, water will be supplied to the Donetsk agglomeration.

Yes, what is there, the work is really gigantic.

“We not only built roads and bridges, but also took them under protection,” continued Marat Khusnullin, separately noting that not only the objects themselves were protected, but also those who guard them.

– People were intimidated, they said that there was no need to take money from Russia, that someone plans to return sometime, but at the same time the negative trend was broken, and today people receive money (pensions and benefits.— A.K.)…

Marat Khusnullin spoke about running schools:

– The most important decision was to ensure the protection of these schools, thanks to the National Guard … 415 medical institutions operate on the territory of the subjects …

Well, the loyalty of the inhabitants is costly. This is definitely worth paying for.

“People from the Donetsk agglomeration, despite the fact that there are daily shellings, do not want to leave, people believe that everything will stabilize, that we will provide everything: heat, water, and electricity,” Mr. Khusnullin added.

This faith seems to be inexhaustible.

But this is unlikely to be the case.

The rest of the Security Council meeting was held behind closed doors.

In fact, it’s better not to even know.