MOSCOW, March 11. /TASS/. Ukrainian nationalists have seized buses and other vehicles intended for evacuation of refugees, chief of the Russian National Defense Management Center Mikhail Mizintsev said on Thursday.

"We have conclusively established that nationalists seized buses, including school buses, as well as other vehicles intended for evacuation of refugees, in order to use them as maneuverable firing points," he said.

The official dismissed the Ukrainian government’s accusations of violating the ceasefire and reports that truck convoys and humanitarian cargo were being blocked in some areas.

"Indeed, vehicles are being searched at roadblocks, but the only goal of these searches is to prevent sabotage squads and members of ultranationalist battalions <…> from entering liberated areas in civilian disguise," Mizintsev said.

"In accordance with the previously reached agreements <…> the ceasefire was declared and is being strictly observed starting from 10 a.m. today," he stressed.

However, the official added that starting from 10:19, the Russian military has been registering numerous attempts to regroup nationalist forces.

"Therefore, nationalists use the ceasefire only to improve their positions," Mizintsev said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 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.

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.