MOSCOW, May 6. /TASS/. Russia had to defend the people of Donbass with military force as peaceful means had failed, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the cabinet.

The meeting took place as the cabinet was preparing to resign on May 7, the day of the president’s inauguration.

"In 2022, other problems began because we became convinced that after eight years of torture brought down on the people who lived and are living in Donbass, we had not been able to solve the problems in this region, the problems of people whom we always considered our own, and they considered Russia their historical homeland. We had not been able to solve them by peaceful means. A little later it became clear that we were simply being led around by the nose, and we had to take extraordinary measures to protect these people with military force," Putin said.

The inauguration of Vladimir Putin is set to take place at noon Moscow time on May 7.