Putin Announces ‘Special Military Op’ In Ukraine’s Donbass to ‘Defend People’

By Staff, Agencies

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine’s Donbass region to “defend people” there against government forces, stressing that Moscow has “no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory.”

In a televised address early on Thursday, Putin said he had ordered the Russian Federation's military to carry out a “special military operation” in the Donbass region after the leaders of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk asked the Kremlin for military assistance in response to what they called “Ukrainian aggression.”

“Circumstances require us to take decisive and immediate action. The People's Republics of Donbass 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 and in pursuance of the friendship treaties ratified by the Federal Assembly and mutual assistance with the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, I have decided to conduct a special military operation,” the Russian president said.

In 2014, Ukraine’s two regions of Donetsk and Lugansk – collectively known as the Donbass – were turned into self-proclaimed republics by ethnic Russians, leading to a bloody conflict between the government forces and the armed separatists.

The conflict worsened following a wave of protests in Ukraine that led to the overthrow of a democratically-elected pro-Russia government, which was later replaced with a Western-backed administration. The majority in those areas refused to endorse the new administration.

More than 14,000 people have been killed so far.

Ukraine, as well as the European Union [EU] and the United States, claim that Russia has a hand in the conflict in the Donbass. Moscow denies the allegation.

On Monday, Putin signed a decree recognizing the breakaway Lugansk and Donetsk regions as independent republics. The recognition followed an address in which he referred to eastern Ukraine as “ancient Russian lands” being “managed by foreign powers.”

In his address on Thursday, Putin said the special operation would aim to he “demilitarize” and "de-Nazify” Ukraine, stressing, "We have no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory.”

The Russian leader emphasized that the goal of the military operation “will be to defend people who for eight years have been suffering persecution and genocide by the Kiev regime.”

“For this we will aim for demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, as well as taking to court those who carried out multiple bloody crimes against civilians, including citizens of the Russia Federation,” he declared.

Putin also called on Ukrainian government troops to immediately lay down their arms, saying, “All service members of the Ukrainian army who follow these demands will be able to leave the battle zone.”

Russia and the US-led NATO have long been at odds over Ukraine. Moscow views NATO’s eastward expansion as a direct threat to Russian security. Recently, it had put forward a set of security proposals to de-escalate the tensions, including a guarantee that Ukraine will not join NATO, a demand that the alliance said was a non-starter.

In his speech on Thursday, Putin issued a stern warning to countries that threaten Russia’s security.

“Anyone who tries to interfere with us, or even more so, to create threats for our country and our people, must know that Russia’s response will be immediate and will lead you to such consequences as you have never before experienced in your history,” the Russian leader said. “We are ready for any turn of events.”

Putin also emphasized that the Russian people were on the right side of history.

“You and I know that our strength lies in fairness and truth, which is on our side. And if this is so, then it is hard not to agree that it is strength and readiness to fight that are the foundation for independence and sovereignty,” he stressed.

Shortly after Putin’s speech, loud explosions were reported across Ukraine, including in the capital Kiev. The Ukrainian media reported that the country’s military command centers were attacked across the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Russian forces had carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and the Ukraine's border guards, and that blasts had been heard in many cities. He said he had spoken by phone to US President Joe Biden.

The White House said Biden had briefed Zelensky on the steps he is taking "to rally international condemnation" of the Russian move.

The Ukrainian leader "asked me to call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin's flagrant aggression, and to stand with the people of Ukraine," Biden said, according to the statement.

The US president said he will be meeting with G7 leaders later on Thursday, and that the United States and its allies "will be imposing severe sanctions on Russia."

"We will continue to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people," he said.

Ursula von der Leyen, the chief of the European Union’s Executive Commission, said on Twitter on Thursday that the bloc would hold the Kremlin “accountable” for what she called the “unjustified” and “unprovoked attack” on Ukraine.

Later on Thursday, EU leaders are set to hold an emergency summit in Brussels. The bloc’s first round of punitive measures against Russia took effect on Wednesday.