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Updated February 25th, 2022 at 21:35 IST

Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Military ensures security to UN, OSCE missions in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the Russian military will take necessary measures to maintain the security of UN, OSCE missions.

Reported by: Vibhuti Sanchala
Russia
Image: AP | Image:self
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Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in a news briefing held on Friday said that the Russian military will take all necessary measures to maintain the security of United Nations and OSCE missions' staffers in Ukraine. She further said that the threat of the staffers of international missions comes from 'Ukrainian nationalist battalions' and not from the Russian Armed Forces. 

As per the Russian news agency, TASS, Zakharova said, "Russian military servicemen will take all necessary measures to guarantee the security of UN and OSCE missions in Ukraine… The threat to the staffers of international missions comes not from the Russian armed forces, but from Ukrainian nationalist battalions, which have become part of that country’s army but at the same time profess a totally barbaric logic."

Zakharova added that Russian citizens remaining in Ukraine after the evacuation of Russian diplomatic missions facing 'direct threats from nationalists', must contact the corresponding agencies in Russian territory or consulate in neighbouring countries if needed. 

Russia's Military Claims To Have Blocked Kyiv's Access To West

On Friday, Russia's Defence Ministry claimed that the country's armed forces have essentially blocked Kyiv from the West after successfully landing at the Gostomel airstrip on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital. Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defence Ministry's spokesperson, stated that the operation featured more than 200 Russian helicopters. "More than 200 nationalists from the special units of Ukraine were killed during the airfield's capture, whereas, the Russian Armed Forces suffered no casualties," he stated, Sputnik reported. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin had also urged the Ukrainian military forces to surrender without a fight and to refuse to obey the Ukrainian leadership's "unlawful orders." Putin stated that the Russian operation's key objectives are the defence of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), as well as the "demilitarisation and denazification" of Ukraine. The Russian Defence Ministry also alleged that the Ukrainian military has positioned multiple "Grad" rocket launcher systems in residential areas at Kyiv in order to provoke casualties among civilians.

Furthermore, in a press conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that if Ukraine's army agrees to lay down its arms, Moscow would be happy to resume negotiations through diplomatic channels. He also stressed that Russia tried its best to convince Ukraine and its western partners through diplomatic channels.

Image: AP

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Published February 25th, 2022 at 21:35 IST

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