Topic: Lugansk

Former Army Intelligence officer Scott Bennett reports on the Moscow shooting, claiming one attacker has been arrested. Bennett characterizes the event as the "last death throes" of Ukrainian-CIA mercenaries. He predicts that Putin will not be lured into an emotional over-response but will instead move ruthlessly to extinguish the "Nazi fascist resurrection" in Ukraine.

Scott Bennett predicts that Vladimir Putin will respond to the Moscow attack with "surgical" ruthlessness rather than emotional escalation. He claims the attack is the "last death throes" of CIA-backed mercenaries in Ukraine. Bennett asserts that the Russian people remain unified behind Putin and that the perpetrators will be tracked down and eliminated.

Vladimir Putin notified the leaders of France and Germany of his intent to officially recognize the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics in eastern Ukraine. This move is framed as a response to the failure of the Minsk agreements and continued Western aggression. Putin asserts that any further attacks on these regions will be viewed as an attack on Russia itself.

Citing a "genocide" against the 14 million people in eastern Ukraine who rejected the 2014 coup, Vladimir Putin officially recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. He demanded that the "regime in Kiev" immediately cease all hostilities or face the consequences of continued bloodshed. This decision is presented as a necessary step to protect ethnic Russians and ensure regional security.