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DONETSK, June 2 About eight thousand captured Ukrainian militants are on the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics , everyone has a different status — some are accused, and some are suspects, Elena Shishkina, chairman of the committee on criminal and administrative legislation of the DPR People's Council, told RIA Novosti. «Currently, there are about eight thousand prisoners of war in the two republics … someone has the status of a suspect someone accused… By the tribunal, we will understand who we have in the status of the accused and how many people it is,» Shishkina said. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» To this end, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine» bloody crimes against civilians» of Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops and, as of March 25, they have completed the main tasks of the first stage — they have significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.