Since February 24, Russia has been conducting a special military operation in Ukraine, the purpose of which, as stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, is “demilitarization and denazification” of the neighboring country, as well as protection of people living in the Donets People’s Rebublic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR,) which have been subjected to shelling, abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for 8 years.
Since the start of the special military operation, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported daily on what exactly is happening on Ukrainian territory. In addition, it has been repeatedly specified that only military facilities are being destroyed with high-precision weapons, and there is no deliberate shelling of residential areas. Most importantly, as the Russian leadership has repeatedly underlined, this operation is not aimed at occupying Ukrain.
In less than seven days of the special operation, Major General Igor Konashenkov, the chief spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, said that 498 Russian servicemen died and 1,597 were wounded. The families of all the killed servicemen will be provided with help. On March 2, Konashenkov said that the Ukrainian side had lost 2,870 servicemen and 3,700 were wounded. Some Ukrainian servicemen, responding to Russian appeals, are voluntarily laying down their arms and ceasing their resistance. For example, 572 Ukrainian servicemen, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, were taken captive. They are being provided with all necessary assistance, and after they sign the relevant documents, they will be able to return home.
Russian servicemen display heroism and bravery during a special military operation, Konashenkov said at the briefing on March 2. For example, the crew under the command of tank company commander Senior Lieutenant Starostin destroyed more than 100 nationalists and 8 armoured personnel vehicles without letting them near the crossing, he said. The Russian tank was attacked by a Javelin. The crew members got shell-shock but did not break off action and managed to bring out of operation two more tanks. Such cases are not isolated, said Konashenkov.
Meanwhile, the nationalists maintain serious resistance. They make ample use of terrorist methods of warfare, placing their small arms near kindergartens, schools, and residential buildings. On March 2, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that in Mariupol, nationalists booby-trapped production shops of the Azovstal iron and steel works, where people continue to work. When withdrawing from the city, they intend to blow up the enterprise.
In recent days the spread of fake news has become more rampant. This disinformation is often published on the front pages of newspapers and magazines in Western countries. Undoubtedly, these fakes alarm the public and sow the seeds of hatred and anger toward Russia, primarily among Ukrainian citizens.
That is why, to stop the spread of false information, as follows from the message of the Russian Ministry of Defense, a particularly precise weapon was struck at the 72nd Main Center for Psychological Operations in Kiev, as well as at the technological facilities of the Ukrainian Security Service. In addition, the broadcasting equipment of the TV tower was eliminated.
Such fake news is also sent to Russian citizens. Some of them, who are liberally minded, begin to spread panic or dissatisfaction with the actions of the Russian authorities among Russians. RIA Novosti reports that a bill has been recently submitted to the State Duma that would make it a criminal offense to disseminate false information about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces. Those who spread fake news would be put in jail for 15 years.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, nationalists are even using foreign nationals for their own purposes. For example, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on March 2 that they are holding a group of students from India in Kharkiv. According to Konashenkov, the students were kept as “hostages” and offered to leave Ukraine via Poland, with only those territories where active hostilities are now taking place to reach the Ukrainian-Polish border. The Russian Armed Forces are making every effort to evacuate the Indian students to Belgorod, and from there to send them home on military transport planes of the Russian Armed Forces or India, as suggested by the Indian side.