China News Agency, Moscow, March 1 (Reporter Tian Bing) Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call with Venezuelan President Maduro on March 1 to comment on the development of the situation in Ukraine.
TASS and other Russian media quoted sources from the Russian delegation as saying that Russia and Ukraine may hold a new round of negotiations on March 2.
But this claim has not been confirmed by the Uzbek side.
According to the Kremlin’s website, Putin emphasized in his phone call with Maduro that the purpose of the Russian military’s special military operation in Ukraine was to protect the civilians of Donbass and to get Kyiv to recognize the two “republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk. Russia's sovereignty over Crimea has "demilitarized" and "denazified" Ukraine, ensuring Ukraine's neutrality and nuclear-free status.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on the 1st that the Russian army will continue to carry out special military operations in Ukraine until the established goals are achieved.
Shoigu said that the Russian army will not occupy Ukrainian territory, and military operations in Ukraine will only target Ukrainian military installations and high-precision weapons.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Konashenkov reported on the same day that the Russian military has destroyed a total of 1,325 Ukrainian military installations since the operation, including 43 command posts and communication centers.
The Russian army also destroyed 395 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 59 multiple rocket systems, 179 field artillery and mortars, and 286 special military vehicles.
Konashenkov said that the Russian military used sea and air long-range precision strike weapons that day, and then paralyzed two Ukrainian military airfields and three radar stations.
Currently, Ukraine's exit to the Sea of Azov has been completely blocked.
The Russian Ministry of Defense warned that the Russian army will use high-precision weapons to attack the facilities of the Ukrainian State Security Service and the 72nd Information Psychological Warfare Center in the city of Kyiv.
TASS reported that at least 136 civilians had been killed and 400 injured in Ukraine since February 24, Elizabeth Tezesser, spokeswoman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, announced at a press conference in Geneva on the 1st. The actual number of casualties was "apparently much higher".
She stressed that most of the casualties were caused by air strikes and "the use of explosive weapons of mass destruction, including shelling with heavy artillery and multiple rocket systems".
The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency issued a notice on the same day that the ban on flights to southern and central Russia will be extended until March 8.
On February 24, Russia announced that it would close its southern Russian airspace from that day to March 2 due to its military operations against Ukraine.
(over)