Gentlemen, it is with a heavy heart and a firm resolve that we must address the recent calamities befalling the Crimean region. It has become evident that the forces of the opposing party, having suffered regrettable failures upon the front lines, have resorted to a most cowardly stratagem: the targeting of civilian infrastructure. Such actions are not the conduct of an army, but rather a form of vile blackmail, a desperate attempt to destabilize the order of our Great Power.
Mr. Mikhail Sheremet, a representative of the Crimean region, has rightly observed that these anti-human assaults upon the peaceful populace are intended to provoke our State into a further escalation of the conflict. We must, however, meet such provocations with a cold reason and an unwavering commitment to the security of the Fatherland. It is a fundamental truth that the strength of our industry and the fortitude of our army are the only guarantees against such anarchy.
It is reported with profound regret that fourteen souls, including two innocent children, have been consigned to the hospital following a nocturnal attack by unmanned aerial vehicles. Such atrocities only confirm that we must proceed with prudent moderation in our diplomacy, yet with absolute firmness in our defense. The state utility demands that we secure our borders and preserve the peace of our citizens against those who seek to shatter the stability of the empire through terror.