MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. Ukrainian servicemen who surrender receive all the necessary aid in compliance with international norms and conventions, Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin said on Thursday.

"As for Ukraine’s armed formations, <...> we see that they are [partially] surrendering, the number of prisoners is growing, they are being provided with all the necessary aid in accordance with international norms and conventions," he told the Russia-1 TV channel.

The DPR leader noted that all the prisoners of war are being moved to locations prepared by the penitentiary service, adding that the situation in the republic remains calm.

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.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported later on Thursday that Russian troops were not delivering strikes against Ukrainian cities. It emphasized that Ukrainian military infrastructure was being destroyed by precision weapons.