MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. Armed forces of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), who were supported by the Russian Armed Forces, have taken control of five more inhabited localities, whereas the forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) have encircled Mariupol and taken control of four more inhabited localities, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday.
"The forces of the Lugansk People’s Republic continue their successful offensive with the fire support of the Russian Armed Forces. They have taken control of Krasny Liman, Torskoye, Kamennaya, Varvarovka, and Borovenki. The forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic have completely encircled the city of Mariupol and taken control of Primorskoye, Priazovskoye, Shevchenko and Berdyanskoye," he said.
Konashenkov stressed that "Russia’s Armed Forces took control of Popovo, Novgorovka, Novomikhailovka and Lyubimovka.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Thursday morning that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.
When clarifying the developments unfolding, the Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. There are no threats whatsoever to the civilian population.