Ukrainian military facilities are being hit by Russian precision weapons, to disable Ukrainian military infrastructure, the Russian defense ministry said. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow does not intend to capture all of Ukraine, but would seek its “de-Nazification” and “demilitarization”.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the Russian military is attacking Ukrainian military facilities as part of an ongoing operation in Ukraine. Precision weapons are used against military infrastructure, air defense sites, military airfields and aircraft, a statement cited by RIA Novosti said.
The military said that Russia was not attacking Ukrainian cities, contrary to claims that say otherwise. Ukrainian civilians are not under threat, the statement said.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian military sites were under attack. Speaking in a video address on his social media, he announced martial law in the country.
He called on Ukrainians to stay calm and preferably not to leave their homes. He said Ukraine was “strong” and will “defeat anyone”.
Earlier on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had authorized a “special military operation” in Ukraine. He said the goal of the action was to “demilitarize” and “de-Nazify” Russia’s neighbor, claiming that it was the best option to protect the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and Russia.
Putin recognized the two regions as sovereign states on Monday and vowed to use Russian armed forces to protect them. The republics claim large chunks of territory controlled by Ukraine as under their sovereignty. Russia recognized those claims.
On Wednesday, the two republics demanded that Ukraine pull back its troops to the border lines of what Kiev considers to be Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine, which Kiev refused to do. Leaders of the republics said Ukrainian troops continued to attack their positions and asked Russia’s help in repelling them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russia had “no plans to occupy the Ukrainian territories” after announcing that a special operation was launched to defend the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics from “Ukrainian aggression.”
The operation’s ultimate goal is “to protect the people who have been subjected for 8 years to genocide by the Kiev regime,” Putin said in an adress on Thursday morning, adding that Moscow would “embark on a demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, and handing over to justice those who committed numerous atrocities against civilians.”
The Russian president noted, however, that Moscow harbors no far-reaching plans to take over the whole territory of Ukraine.
“We do not have plans to occupy Ukrainian territories. We are not going to impose anything on anyone by force,” he said.