State Duma Speaker: Spec Op in Ukraine Only Way to Stop Genocide of Russian People, Prevent Massacre

On February 24, Russia announced a special operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics requested help in countering the aggression of Ukrainian forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier called the events in Donbas of the last 8 years a "genocide" of the Russian-speaking people.

Russian State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin called on Sunday Russia's special operation in Ukraine the only way to establish peace and prevent a large-scale war.

“A special peacekeeping operation has been going on for four days,” the speaker wrote in Telegram. “We all understand that it is the only way to defend peace, stop the genocide of the Russian people, prevent a massacre and a full-scale war, and ensure the security of our country in the future.”

Volodin added that Russia is determined to do everything to ensure that Ukraine becomes a “peaceful, free, democratic and sovereign country,” and guarantee security for Russian citizens.

On 21 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, which had declared independence from the government in Kiev after a US-backed coup in 2014. On Thursday, Russia announced the start of a special military operation to demilitarize Ukraine. In his national address, Putin said that circumstances “require decisive and immediate action,” as the Donbas republics asked for help.

According to Moscow, all responsibility for the bloodshed lies on Kiev as, according to statements from the Russian Defense Ministry in the following days, the Russian military forces are instructed to attack only Ukrainian military infrastructure, avoiding civilian sites.