Shoigu: the decision on the special operation was made due to security threats

He stated this at the plenary session of the First International Anti-Fascist Congress.

As the minister noted, for about eight years, Kyiv methodically committed horrific crimes against citizens of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, resulting in the death of "thousands of innocent people, including children."

“At the same time, the military development of the Ukrainian territory by the North Atlantic Alliance began.

Kyiv headed for NATO membership.

All this created unacceptable threats to the security of Russia, ”RIA Novosti quotes him.

Shoigu pointed out that against the backdrop of all this, Russian President Vladimir Putin "made the only right decision to conduct a special military operation."

One of the main goals of the operation is to protect the inhabitants of Donbass from the genocide organized by Kyiv and the Ukrainian military.

Earlier, Shoigu said that many residents of Ukraine did not accept the policy of the Kyiv authorities aimed at rehabilitating Nazism and inciting hatred for everything connected with Russia.