KIEV, February 25. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky published a video on his Telegram channel in which he is standing in the governmental block of the capital thus refuting rumors that he left Kiev.
In the video, he is surrounded by Prime Minister Denis Shmygal, adviser to the president's chief of staff Mikhail Podolyak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andrey Yermak and head of Ukraine’s ruling party's parliamentary faction David Arakhamia.
"Good evening to all. The faction’s leader is here, the head of the president’s office is here, prime minister Shmygal is here, Podolyak is here, the president is here. Our servicemen are here. Public citizens are here. We are all here. We are defending our independence, our state. And it will remain so," the Ukrainian leader said.
On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR). Subsequent agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance were signed with their leaders.
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.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported later on Thursday that Russian troops were not delivering strikes against Ukrainian cities. It emphasized that Ukrainian military infrastructure was being destroyed by precision weapons.