‘Demilitarise and denazify’: How Vladimir Putin justifies Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
In a televised speech, the Russian president said he was ordering a military operation in the Donbass area to bring 'justice to those who committed numerous crimes against peaceful people'
Russian president Vladimir Putin launched a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday with explosions heard across the country.
In a surprise television announcement, President Vladimir Putin said, "People’s republics of Donbas approached Russia with a request for help. In connection therewith, I made the decision to hold a special military operation.”
He appealed to Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms and go home in his address. He said Russia doesn't plan to 'occupy' its southern neighbour, but that Russia must "defend itself from those who took Ukraine hostage."
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Here’s a closer look at what Putin said to justify the attacks made by Russia on Thursday.
‘Goal of the military operation is to protect the people’
In his televised address, Putin said, “The goal is to protect the people that are subjected to abuse, genocide from the Kyiv regime for eight years.”
'Demilitarise and denazify Ukraine'
"We will seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine and put to justice those that committed numerous bloody crimes against peaceful people, including Russian nationals."
On Ukrainian troops
In his speech, Vladimir Putin urged Ukrainian servicemen to disarm and go home.
"Do not perform their unlawful orders! I urge you to immediately disarm and go home. To make it clear: all servicemen of the Ukrainian army that will fulfill this demand will be able to freely leave the zone of combat action and return to their families."
Ukraine to blame
The Russian strongman also stated that the Ukrainian side would have to answer for the possibility of bloodshed.
“Justice and truth are on Russia's side. All the responsibility for possible bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling in the territory of Ukraine."
Following his address, the military operation began during which big explosions could be heard from Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa.
Hours later, news agency AFP reported that Russia's ground forces had crossed into Ukraine from several directions.
Russian tanks and other heavy equipment crossed the frontier in several northern regions, as well as from the Kremlin-annexed peninsula of Crimea in the south, the agency said.
It said one of its servicemen died in a shelling attack along the Crimean border, the first officially confirmed military death of the Russian invasion.
With inputs from agencies
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