DISINFO: Russia is methodically demilitarising Ukraine
SUMMARY
Russia is gradually and methodically engaged in the demilitarization of Ukraine, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Demilitarization - we are gradually, methodically doing it," Putin said at a meeting with war correspondents.
Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24 last year. President Vladimir Putin called its goal "the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years."
For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out "demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine", to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for "bloody crimes against civilians" in Donbass.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative attempting to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Further, an attempt to boost domestic moral in Russia and gloss over the Russian losses in their war against Ukraine.
On February 24, 2022 Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine, which he called a special military operation under the pretext of the “demilitarisation and denazification” of Ukraine.
On March 2, 2022 the UN General Assembly by an overwhelming majority rejected the Russian Federation's brutal invasion of Ukraine and demanded that Russia immediately withdraw its forces and abide by international law.
Read more about the EU response and support for Ukraine.
Russia has been violating Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of armed aggression since 2014.
See also the Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War and The Chilling Background to the Kremlin's "No War" trope.
Read more cases in our database claiming that the Russian “special military operation” in Ukraine helps liberate the world from Western neo-colonialism; or that the operation is in accordance with the UN Charter; or that Russian action in Ukraine is to prevent Third World War; or that the military operation was launched because Kyiv did not implement Minsk agreements.