Putin: Everything Going According to Plan in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the “special military operation” is going according to plan, more than 4 months after Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

During his visit to Turkmenistan on Wednesday, Putin told Russian reporters that the military operation is proceeding calmly and methodically, and the forces are advancing and reaching their specific goals for each stage of the war effort.

Russian TASS news agency quoted Putin as saying, “Everything is going according to the plan.”

The Russian president reassured that the main aim of the Russian special military operation is to free Donbas, protect its citizens, and create conditions that guarantee Moscow’s security.

He added that NATO wanted to transform Ukraine into an “anti-Russian spearhead.”

Putin refused to comment on the date when the operation ends saying it is wrong to set any datelines, noting that intensifying the fight will mean greater loss.

“We must think first and foremost about how to save our children’s lives,” he added.

International and Ukrainian experts documented many atrocities that the Russian troops had committed against Ukrainian civilians, such as the extrajudicial execution of residents in the Kyiv region of Bucha although Moscow refused to talk about such atrocities, saying they were all orchestrated.