The Russian Defense Ministry today called on the citizens of Ukraine to demand that the Kiev authorities remove heavy weapons from homes and residential neighborhoods.
In a briefing this Saturday, the spokesman for the military entity, Major General Igor Konashénkov, reiterated that the Russian Armed Forces do not attack the residential neighborhoods of Ukrainian cities.
He indicated that Russian intelligence observed the deployment of aviation and artillery units by Ukrainian nationalists in residential neighborhoods not only in Kiev, but also in other Ukrainian cities.
He denounced that the nationalist government in Kiev massively and uncontrollably distributes small automatic weapons, grenade launchers and ammunition to the inhabitants of Ukrainian settlements.
The Russian Defense Ministry spokesman warned that the participation of the Ukrainian civilian population in hostilities will inevitably lead to accidents and casualties.
“We urge the people of Ukraine to be aware, not to succumb to these provocations of the Kiev regime and not to expose themselves and their loved ones to unnecessary suffering,” he said.
He reported that on Friday night, 16 Ukrainian ships tried to attack the ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which evacuated the 82 Ukrainian soldiers who voluntarily surrendered on the Snake Island.
According to Konashenkov, US strategic patrol drones RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-9A Reaper could have guided the Ukrainian ships during the attack on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, because they flew over the zone of confrontation.
Russia launched a military operation in the Ukrainian autonomous region of Donbass early Thursday morning, after the authorities of the Donetsk People’s Republics (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republics (PRL) requested help to repel Kiev’s aggression.
On February 21, Moscow recognized the independence and sovereignty of both territories and signed treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with those leaders, which included the establishment of diplomatic relations and military aid.
