MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. Russia’s special military operation is not aimed at overthrowing Ukraine’s current government or destroying its statehood but seeks to protect the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR, LPR), demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, as well as to eliminate military threats for Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday.

"The special military operation seeks to protect the DPR and LPR, demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, eliminate the military threat for Russia that is coming from Ukraine’s territory due to the activities of NATO countries there and attempts to pump the country with weapons. The operation is not aimed at occupying Ukraine, destroying its statehood or overthrowing the current government. It is not directed against civilians," she pointed out.

Zakharova noted that Russia had to keep explaining its goals amid "the disinformation and bogus stories that Western intelligence agencies are creating in the Western media."

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation based on a request from the heads of the Donbass republics. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans to occupy Ukrainian territories and the goal was to demilitarize and denazify the country. Russia’s Defense Ministry stressed that the Russian Armed Forces were not delivering strikes against Ukrainian cities. The ministry emphasized that the Ukrainian military infrastructure was being destroyed by precision weapons and there was no threat to civilians.