Russian leader Vladimir Putin, at a concert in Luzhniki to mark the anniversary of Crimea’s reunification with Russia, said that Ukraine had carried out punitive military operations against residents of Donbas, who disagreed with the 2014 coup d’état in the country
“People who lived and are living in Donbas also disagreed with the coup d’état. Punitive military operations were immediately organised against them. And not just one. They were immediately put under blockade, subjected to systematic shelling from various guns and air strikes”, – the Russian president said.
Putin explained that it happened that the start of the operation coincided with the birthday of one of our outstanding military commanders, Fyodor Ushakov, who had never lost a battle: “These thunderings will go to the glory of Russia. So it was then! So it is today! And so it will always be!”.
The Russian president also quoted the Bible when speaking about Donbas: There is no greater love than if a man lays down his life for his friends.