MOSCOW, February 25. /TASS/. The current Kiev authorities are being controlled by Western states led by the US, and by proponents of neo-Nazism, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference Friday.

"Nobody intends to attack the Ukrainian people; nobody intends to treat Ukrainian Armed Forces service in a manner that humiliates human dignity. We are talking about preventing the neo-Nazis and those who promote methods of genocide from ruling this country," he said. "Because the Kiev regime is currently subjected to two mechanisms of external control: the West, led by the US, and the neo-Nazis, who promote their ‘culture,’ which blooms in the modern Ukraine."

Answering a question from an American reporter, Lavrov recommended the Western media to meticulously examine official statements made by Russia.

"I drew attention of two previous reporters to what President Putin said. I understand that you have other things to do than read the statements that describe the Russian position in minute details, but I invite you to do it nevertheless. Maybe, you will advise your Ukrainian colleagues, representatives of Ukrainian Armed Forces first and foremost, to read them."

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.