Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a special military operation in Ukraine’s Donbass region in the early hours of Thursday morning (February 24) and told the Ukrainian military to lay down their weapons and go home.
In a televised address, Putin said the action comes in response to threats coming from Ukraine. “I decided to conduct a special military operation. Its goal is the protection of people who, during eight years, suffered from abuse and genocide from the Kyiv regime,” Putin said. He added that Russia doesn’t have a goal to occupy Ukraine.
Putin said the responsibility for the bloodshed lies with the Ukrainian “regime.” Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen.” Putin also added that Russia was “ready for any outcome.”
(Reuters)
