Kremlin says territories regained by Ukraine will be taken back

MOSCOW

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Ukrainian territories, temporarily abandoned by the Russian military, will be retaken.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov noted that territories that are part of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions are now part of Russia.

He added that the "special military operation" continues and no decisions have been made on transforming it into a "counter-terrorism operation."

"This is entirely the prerogative of the supreme commander-in-chief -- the president of the country. To date, no such decisions have been made. We are talking about a special military operation that is ongoing," he said.

Peskov said Pentagon's statements about Ukraine's capability to hit targets in Crimea with the US-supplied HIMARS artillery complex prove the US involvement in the conflict.

"Such statements, both directly and indirectly, are new confirmations of the direct involvement of the United States in this conflict, which creates an extremely dangerous situation," he stressed.

Commenting on some media reports that Vienna suggested Moscow and Kyiv hold peace talks in Austria, Peskov said Russia did not receive such proposals.

The spokesman also voiced concern over the position of Denmark and Sweden regarding the accident on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, excluding any cooperation with the Russian side.

"Moscow will wait for clarifications in this regard. The participation of the Russian side in the examination of damaged sites and the investigation of what happened is a must," he said.