Russian President Vladimir Putin held an operational meeting with permanent members of the Security Council via videoconference.
Vladimir Putin:Dear comrades!
On February 24, a special military operation began in Ukraine. Fulfilling the tasks assigned to protect our people in the Donbas, to ensure the security of our Homeland, Russian soldiers and officers act courageously, like real heroes.
Our servicemen are fighting steadfastly, with a full understanding of the rightness of their cause. Even after being wounded, soldiers and officers remain in the ranks. They sacrifice themselves, their lives, to save their comrades and civilians.
During the fighting, both our servicemen and the Donbass militia show really massive heroism.
I will note the personnel of the 100th Motorized Rifle Brigade operating in the Donetsk direction. Fighters under the command of Colonel Alexei Borisovich Bernhard in the Volnovakha area broke through the deeply echeloned defense, which the nationalists had been strengthening and equipping for almost eight years.
The commander of the tank platoon of the Guards, Lieutenant Viktor Sokolnik, destroyed five tanks during the battle.
On February 25, in the Chuginka area, the company commander of the 163rd tank regiment, Captain Alexey Levkin, encountered nationalist units numbering 15 tanks and six infantry fighting vehicles. Having attacked the enemy with his fighters, Captain Levkin destroyed all the infantry fighting vehicles and five tanks, ensured that the combat mission was completed without losses.
I have signed a decree awarding Senior Lieutenant Nurmagomed Engelsovich Gadzhimagomedov the title of Hero of Russia - unfortunately, posthumously. In battle, he confidently commanded his fighters, like a real commander of his subordinates. Having already been seriously wounded, he fought to the last and blew up the militants surrounding him and himself with a grenade. He took such a step because he understood who he was dealing with - neo-Nazis who mock prisoners and brutally kill them.
I am a Russian person, and, as they say, I have Ivan and Mary in my family. But when I see examples of such heroism as the feat of a young boy Nurmagomed Gadzhimagomedov - a native of Dagestan, a Lakh by nationality, our other soldiers, I want to say: I am a Lakh, I am a Dagestani, I am a Chechen, Ingush, Russian, Tatar, Jew, Mordvin, Ossetian… It is simply impossible to list all of the more than three hundred national groups and ethnic groups of Russia - I think you understand me - but I am proud that I am part of this world, part of the mighty, strong, multinational people of Russia.
At the same time, I will never give up my belief that Russians and Ukrainians are one people, even though some residents of Ukraine were intimidated, many were fooled by Nazi nationalist propaganda, and someone deliberately, of course, followed the path of Bandera, other Nazi henchmen who fought on Hitler's side during the Great Patriotic War.
And the fact that we are at war with neo-Nazis shows the very course of hostilities. Nationalist and neo-Nazi formations - and among them there are foreign mercenaries, including from the Middle East - are hiding behind civilians as a "human shield". I have already said that there is absolutely objective data, photos of how they place heavy military equipment in residential areas of cities. Together they act exactly in this way, like the most extreme bandits, and instead of fulfilling promises to remove this equipment from residential buildings, kindergartens, hospitals, on the contrary, they additionally transfer tanks, artillery, mortars there.
They also took foreign citizens hostage, including thousands of young people, students who studied in Ukraine. So, 3179 Indian citizens, mostly students, were held at the railway station in Kharkiv for more than a day. And most of them continue to be held until now. Including 576 people - in the city of Sumy. Neo-Nazis also opened fire on Chinese students who were trying to leave Kharkiv. Two of them were injured.
I repeat, hundreds of foreigners are trying to leave the war zone, but they are not allowed to do so. In fact, they are being held hostage, stalling for time, or offering to evacuate through Lviv, to Poland, that is, to drive through the entire war zone, putting them at risk.
Our servicemen provided corridors in all areas of clashes without exception. We have provided transport so that peaceful people and foreign citizens have the opportunity to travel to a safe place.
I emphasize again, the nationalists do not allow this to be done. Moreover, they are now instructing foreign citizens to contact their authorities, and those in turn will have to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. In fact, people are simply thrown under fire.
And even worse, neo-Nazis treat their own citizens, their own population. As I have already said, they hide behind people as a "human shield". Our military also note such facts when in the cities of the People's republics of Donbass - Severodonetsk, Lisichansk, others - residents of apartment buildings are driven to the middle floors of buildings, and windows and walls are broken in the lower floors, heavy equipment, guns, tanks are driven there, machine guns and snipers are placed on the roofs and on the upper floors.
Only fascists fought like that, treated civilians so inhumanely when Soviet troops fought with them, including liberating the territory of Ukraine.
I repeat, our soldiers and officers strive to prevent civilian casualties and, unfortunately, they themselves suffer losses.
Our duty is to support the families of our dead and wounded comrades who fought for the safety of the Fatherland, for our people, for the people of Russia.
All family members of servicemen who died during a special military operation in Ukraine will be provided with insurance coverage and a one-time allowance provided by law, this is seven million 421 thousand rubles. Monthly monetary compensation will also be paid to each family member of the deceased.
But in addition, I consider it necessary to establish an additional payment of five million rubles to each family of the deceased serviceman of the Ministry of Defense, military personnel and employees of other law enforcement agencies involved in the operation.
All servicemen wounded during the operation will also receive appropriate payments. I mean insurance and a one-time allowance for injury, injury or contusion.
If a serviceman who served under a contract is found unfit for military service due to injury, he will receive a one-time allowance in the amount of two million 968 thousand rubles, and in case of disability - monthly monetary compensation. All these measures are already provided for by law.
At the same time, I also think that it is necessary to provide for additional payments to servicemen of the Ministry of Defense, servicemen and employees of other law enforcement agencies participating in the operation and injured - three million rubles each.
I would like to emphasize again: now on Ukrainian territory our soldiers and officers are fighting for Russia, for a peaceful life for the citizens of Donbass, for the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine, so that no "anti-Russia" created by the West right at our borders for years does not threaten us, including with nuclear weapons, as it has been recently.
Our people are proud of their Armed Forces. We will always remember our fallen comrades. We will do everything to support their families, their children - to give them an education, to support relatives and friends.
I ask you to honor the memory of our soldiers who died in the performance of military duty during a special military operation in Ukraine.
(A minute of silence.)
Dear comrades!
I want to say that the special military operation is proceeding in strict accordance with the schedule, according to plan. All the tasks are successfully solved. The Defense Minister will report in more detail now.
Source: kremlin.ru
