LUGANSK, Mar 2 The situation on the contact line remains critical, Ukrainian troops are ready to hide behind civilians of Ukraine as a human shield, as well as to seize socially significant infrastructure, the People's Militia of the LPR said. «The situation on the line of contact continues to be critical. According to information received by us, Ukrainian nationalist units are trying with their last strength to hide their imminent defeat and for this they are ready to hide behind their citizens of Ukraine as a human shield, as well as to seize socially significant infrastructure facilities,» the People's Militia wrote on its Telegram channel. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine early in the morning on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for «bloody crimes against civilians» in Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops, the civilian population is not in danger. With the support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the DPR and LPR groups are developing an offensive. But there is no talk of the occupation of Ukraine, the President of Russia emphasized.
