Putin announces military operation to protect Donbass

MOSCOW, Feb. 24 (YPA) – Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday morning the start of a special military operation in Donbass, saying that a confrontation between Russia and Ukrainian forces was inevitable.

“The overall development of events and analysis of information shows that the confrontation between Russia and the nationalist forces in Ukraine is inevitable,” the Russian president said. It’s only a matter of time.”

Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen.”

Putin urged “Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their weapons and immediately return home.

Putin said the responsibility for bloodshed lies with the Ukrainian “regime.”

He added that Russia has no chance other than to defend itself, and it will use it.

E.M