Reserve soldiers of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces gather ouside Kyiv city hall on February 24, 2022 as Russia’s ground forces invaded Ukraine from several directions today, encircling the country within hours of Russian President announcing his decision to launch an assault. – AFP photo
MOSCOW (Feb 24): The Russian army said that Moscow-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine were advancing and had gained territory after the Kremlin launched an attack on the country.
Military spokesman Igor Konashenkov told state television today that forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic gained “up to three kilometres” (1.8 miles) in territory and those of the Lugansk People’s Republic “advanced one and a half kilometres.”
He added that Russia had “high precision weapons” and that Ukrainian civilians had “nothing to fear.”
Konashenkov said the Russia-backed rebel troops are “now fighting and inflicting … damage on the enemy.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was launching an offensive on Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday.
He did so after recognising the two rebel republics in eastern Ukraine and signing friendship treaties with them. – AFP