At meeting with defense chief, Putin names Ukraine his army’s "priority"

 At a Kremlin meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Ukraine a "priority" for the Russian army and stated the need to increase combat readiness of the Pacific and other naval fleets.

This was reported by Ukrinform with reference to the Kremlin's Telegram channel.

"Obviously, today we have clear priorities for the use of the armed forces, and this primarily concerns the Ukrainian direction and everything related to protecting our people in Donbas and other new territories," Putin said.

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After that, Putin also mentioned a "snap check" of the Pacific Fleet, adding that he didn’t rule the fleet’s potetial involvement in "conflicts."

"The forces of the fleet in its individual components can certainly be used in conflicts in any area. So I ask you to keep this in mind as well," Russia’s president said.

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As Ukrinform reported earlier, on April 14, the Russian defense ministry put the Pacific Fleet on high alert and announced a snap combat readiness check.