PARK PATRIOT /Moscow Region/, August 16. /TASS/. The observance of the Geneva conventions during the Russian special operation in Ukraine is the priority for Russian Army’s commanders at all levels, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday.
"I would like to separately speak about the humanitarian aspects of the special military operation," Shoigu said speaking at the 10th Moscow Conference on International Security. "The observance of the Geneva conventions on the rules of warfare is in the focus of commanders at all levels."
"Since the launch of the operation relevant orders were issued stipulating the guidelines for military personnel’s conduct in regard to civilians and enemy’s prisoners," he said.
According to Shoigu, Russian troops are actively involved in deliveries of humanitarian cargo to the liberated territories, in the restoration of the infrastructure and maintenance of the public order.
"This is how it was in Syria, in Nagorno Karabakh and this is how is now in Donbass," the minister stated.
Shoigu also said that the ministry is very grateful to the United Nations and The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for their constructive and depoliticized cooperation in regard to the humanitarian aid deliveries during the special military operation.
The situation along the line of engagement in Donbass escalated on February 17. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) reported the most massive bombardments by the Ukrainian military in recent months, which damaged civilian infrastructure and caused civilian casualties.
On February 21, President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow was recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Russia signed agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with their leaders. Moscow recognized the Donbass republics in accordance with the DPR and LPR constitutions within the boundaries of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions as of the beginning of 2014.
Russian President Putin announced on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics for assistance he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, noting that the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.
The DPR and the LPR launched an operation to liberate their territories under Kiev’s control.