NOVO-OGARYOVO, February 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a priority to make sure that Ukrainian forces don’t have an opportunity to bombard Russian border regions.

"Of course, the priority is to eliminate the possibility of bombardments, but that’s up to the defense ministry," he said in his opening remarks at a meeting dedicated to rebuilding the housing infrastructure in the country’s border regions that had been ruined in emergencies.

He said the meeting will focus on "supporting the residents of Crimea, the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions, whose homes and apartments in border territories have suffered damage or been ruined because of shelling by neo-Nazi formations."

Putin said that on January 24 he had met with Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, who had provided a detailed report on the situation in the region and described the assistance that’s provided to people by the regional government.

"Following the meeting, specific instructions were given to take additional measures in this regard, as well as with respect to a whole range of other areas. I’m asking you to make sure that everything that has been planned will be executed," the president said.