Ukrainian troops are leaving their positions and there is no threat to civilians, the Russian armed forces has said. Moscow insists its forces are not attacking cities. DPR, LPR militias conducting joint operation with Russian forces to liberate Donbass areas – DPR People’s Militia deputy commander Eduard Basurin said on Thursday.
Ukrainian soldiers are abandoning their positions in the face of a Russian offensive, Moscow has claimed, insisting that its armed forces are not striking cities and pose “no threat” to civilians.
In a statement issued on Thursday morning, defense officials said that “intelligence shows that units of the Ukrainian army and servicemen are leaving their posts en masse, laying down their weapons.” No direct evidence has been presented to substantiate the assertion.
According to the release, “Ukrainian Armed Forces positions that have laid down their weapons are not being attacked. The Russian armed forces are not striking Ukrainian cities. There is no threat to the civilian population.” Moscow says a number of military targets, including airfields, defense installations and airplanes have been hit by “high-precision weapons” as part of a “special operation” ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
However, Kiev’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has issued a statement in which he declared that Moscow “has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.” According to him, “this is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win,” he insisted. “The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared martial law in the country, urging citizens to stay calm and stay at home.
Foreign leaders have condemned Moscow’s actions, with US President Joe Biden saying that Russia had declared a “premeditated war” that would lead to “catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.”
Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republic militiamen have begun a joint operation with the Russian armed forces to liberate Donbass from the Ukrainian troops, DPR People’s Militia deputy commander Eduard Basurin said on Thursday.
“Amid the Ukrainian aggression, Donetsk People’s Republic Head Denis Pushilin asked President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin for assistance,” Basurin said. “At present, a special military operation has been launched jointly with Russian forces in the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.”
Earlier on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his address to the nation that he had made the decision to carry out a special military operation to protect Donbass