Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia's Aerospace Forces are going to start patrolling the airspace over the Black Sea.
According to him, the military aircraft involved in this mission will be equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
"Per my instructions, the Russian Aerospace Forces will begin patrolling the neutral zone of the airspace over the Black Sea on a regular basis. And our MiG-31 aircraft are armed with Kinzhal systems," Putin said during a press conference in Beijing today.
The Russian president also pointed out that this move is not a threat to anyone.
Putin Says ATACMS Deliveries Another Mistake, Will Prolong Kiev's 'Agony'
Putin delivered these remarks hours after Ukrainian forces used ATACMS missiles provided by the US to attack the Russian port city of Berdyansk located on the shores of the Sea of Azov which is connected to the Black Sea.
The Russian president suggested that the delivery of ATACMS missiles from the United States to Ukraine is another mistake and will only prolong Kiev’s "agony."
"If they had not supplied weapons, they could have said in the future: well, if we had supplied everything we could, then the situation would have changed, but this would have led to unnecessary casualties … But they did it, and there will be no result. That's why it's a mistake. And, finally, nothing good for Ukraine in this sense either. No, it just prolongs the agony," Putin said.
He added that Russia is able to repel the ATACMS attacks, and that these missiles will not radically change the situation on the frontlines of the Ukrainian conflict.
Putin also remarked that the United States is becoming more and more drawn into the Ukrainian conflict, which is becoming increasingly obvious.
"And let no one say that they have nothing to do with this. We believe that they do," he stated.
Regarding the claims made by the US leadership that Russia "lost" in the Ukrainian conflict, Putin wondered aloud why the United States keeps supplying Kiev with weapons.
"If Russia lost the war, why does [the US] supply ATACMS? Let [the US] take back ATACMS and all other weapons," he said.
Kiev Considering Negotiations is Admirable But Not Enough
The Russian president also took note of the fact that the people who steer Ukraine's foreign policy and who recently called for inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield, have stated that "these problems need to be resolved through peaceful negotiations."
"This is a right transformation, transformation in the right direction, [EU foreign policy chief Josep] Borrell is already talking about this. I will praise him for this. But this is not enough. It is necessary to take concrete steps if you really want to negotiate," Putin said.
He pointed out that if Ukraine really wants to resume negotiations, it should first repeal the law that effectively bans these negotiations.