Everything that was destroyed and damaged will be restored, and we will create conditions to take advantage of the rich agrarian potential of our historical territories reunified with Russia, the president said in his speech on the occasion of the professional day of agricultural workers, according to a Kremlin release.

The Russian authorities will continue to support the agricultural industry, help small agricultural enterprises to expand and enter foreign markets more actively, he continued.

The president also noted that Russian farmers reliably supply food to the domestic market, and their products are in demand both at home and abroad.

Russia has been carrying out a special military operation in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, which, according to Putin, is aimed at protecting the population from “genocide by the Kiev government”.

It also aims to tackle the national security risks posed by the advance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to the east.

The republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, as well as the provinces of Kherson and Zaporozhie, joined Russia at the end of September 2022 after holding self-determination referendums.

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