LONDON, February 24. /TASS/. The United Kingdom and its allies will impose a massive package of sanctions against Russia following the military operation in Ukraine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday.

"Today, in concert with our allies, we will agree a massive package of economic sanctions designed in time to hobble the Russian economy," Johnson said in a televised address.

"Our mission is clear: diplomatically, politically, economically, and eventually military, this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure," Johnson said.

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.