ASHGABAT, June 30. /TASS/. Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine is going according to plan, and there is no need to meet any deadlines for ending it, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday wrapping up his visit to Ashgabat.
According to Putin, the goal of the special military operation is to liberate Donbass, to defend the people living there, and "to create conditions that will guarantee the security of Russia itself."
"The work is proceeding in a calm and rhythmic way. The troops are advancing and reaching those endpoints that are assigned as a task at a certain stage of this combat work. Everything is going according to plan," Putin stressed.
When asked about a possible deadline for finishing the operation, the Russian president said, "There is no need to talk about any deadlines. I never talk about it, since this is life and these are real things. It is not right to squeeze that into any deadlines."
"It is linked to the intensity of combat operations, which is directly linked to potential casualties, and we must think above all things about protecting our guys’ lives," the president emphasized.