Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the Russians on the morning of February 24 on the air of Rossiya-24. The head of state announced that he had decided on a special military operation in the Donbass.
Circumstances require decisive and immediate action, the president noted, recalling that the people’s republics of Donbass have turned to Russia with a request for help. In this regard, in accordance with Article 51, Part 7 of the UN Charter, with the sanction of the Federation Council of Russia and in pursuance of the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with the DPR and LPR ratified by the Federal Assembly, a decision was made to conduct a special military operation, Putin said.
The purpose of the operation is to protect people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for 8 years. The head of state stressed that Russia’s plans do not include the occupation of Ukraine, the Russian Federation is not going to impose anything on anyone by force.
“We will strive for the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, as well as bringing to justice those who committed numerous bloody crimes against civilians, including citizens of the Russian Federation,” Putin said in a televised address to the Russians.
The head of state noted that Russia respects and will continue to respect the sovereignty of the countries formed in the post-Soviet space. An example of this is the assistance provided to Kazakhstan, which is faced with tragic events, with a challenge to its statehood and integrity, Putin recalled.
According to him, today’s events are not connected with the desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. “They are connected with the defense of Russia itself from those who took Ukraine hostage and are trying to use it against our country and its people. I repeat, our actions are self-defense against the threats posed to us and from an even greater disaster than the one that is happening today” , the president said.
All Ukrainian servicemen who refuse to carry out the criminal orders of Kiev and lay down their arms will be able to leave the combat zone without hindrance, Vladimir Putin also said. Addressing the Ukrainian servicemen, the President of the Russian Federation recalled that they took an oath of allegiance to their people, “and not to the anti-people junta that robs Ukraine and mocks this very people.” The Russian leader stressed: “All responsibility for possible bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine.”