Kiev, Feb 24: Shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a “special military operation” in the conflict-hit Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, a series of explosions hit Ukraine’s largest airport Boryspil and several military objects in eastern and southern regions of the country on Thursday, according to Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
Putin said in a televised address on Thursday morning that in response to a request from the heads of the Donbas Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, he had decided to conduct a special military operation to protect the people “who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Ukrainian regime for eight years”.
The Russian leader reiterated that Moscow had no plans “to occupy Ukrainian territories”.
