The special military operation in Ukraine is going favourably for the Russian Federation, President Vladimir Putin has said.
Putin said Russia will continue to achieve its goals in Ukraine, despite the large-scale support of Kyiv from the West, the head of state emphasised.
“Western elites continue to provide large-scale political, financial and military support to today’s regime, considering it a weapon in the fight against Russia. We all see this and will continue to consistently fulfill all the tasks set within the Special Military
Operation to ensure the security of Russia and our citizens,” he said.
President Putin reported that hostilities resumed after the end of the Easter truce. There was a decrease in activity, but there were still violations on the Ukrainian side.
“There were almost five thousand violations – 4,900. Of these, six attacks and 90 attempts to strike aircraft-type UAVs.
“We have always treated the ceasefire with respect, which is why we devised such an initiative. Moreover, we are talking about the bright Easter days,” he said.
Putin also noted that the initial reaction of the Ukrainian side to the proposal for a ceasefire was ambiguous.
“We saw the initial reaction. According to the statement, our proposal was a game with the destinies and lives of people. But apparently, some smarter people there suggested – most likely foreign curators – that rejecting such initiatives was a losing position for the Kyiv regime. And they quickly agreed,” he said.
The Russian authorities are ready for dialogue on resolving the Ukraine conflict, but the special operation’s goals remain the same.
Earlier, the Russian Defence Minister said that the primary goal of the special operation conducted by the Russian Armed Forces is to protect Russia from an external military threat from the West.
“The grouping of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will continue to conduct a special military operation until the set goals are achieved,” the minister noted.
He recalled that the special operation is being carried out to “protect the population of Donbass, demilitarise and denazification Ukraine.”
He emphasised that the West is trying to use Ukrainians in the fight against Russia, not shying away from methods.
“I emphasise that strikes are carried out only on military facilities and exclusively with high-precision weapons,” he said.
