Russia will not artificially adjust the deadline for the completion of the military special operation in Ukraine until Victory Day on May 9. This was said by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with the Italian television company Mediaset.
“Our military will not artificially adjust its actions to any date, including Victory Day,” Lavrov said, adding that the pace of the operation in Ukraine depended primarily on the need to minimize any risks to the civilian population and the Russian military.
He admitted that “there was a tradition in the Soviet Union – to do something big, strong for a holiday “.
“We are focusing our actions in Ukraine exclusively on the tasks I mentioned. They were announced by the Russian president. Vladimir Putin – protection and guarantee of the safety of the civilian population, lack of any threats on the territory of Ukraine for them and for the Russians. “A federation associated with offensive weapons and nationalization, which the West is actively trying to downplay,” Lavrov said.
He added that the Russian side does not insist that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky surrender, and urged Zelensky to order Ukrainian “neo-Nazi battalions” to stop the resistance and release all civilians.
The first civilians from Azovstal came out on different roads and versions
The evacuation of civilians from Mariupol for tomorrow
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“Now Zelensky can also bring peace if he stops issuing criminal orders to his neo-Nazi battalions, forcing them to release all civilians and stop resisting,” he said.
Asked whether this meant that Russia wanted President Zelensky to surrender and whether it was a condition for peace, Lavrov said: “We do not demand that he surrender. We demand that he order the release of all civilians and to stop the resistance “.
The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry also assured that Russia is not trying to change power in Ukraine.
“Our goal does not include regime change in Ukraine. It is an American specialty. It is done all over the world,” Lavrov said, explaining that Russia wants to “ensure the security of the people of eastern Ukraine so that they are not threatened by militarization or nationalization. ” on this country and on the territory of Ukraine there were no threats to the security of the Russian Federation. “
We recall that today the first civilians have apparently already been deported from the Azovstal industrial complex in Mariupol. The news is confirmed by both Ukraine and Russia, although the versions differ.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that with the help of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, about 100 civilians had been evacuated from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol and headed to Zaporozhye.
Russia’s Defense Ministry also issued a statement on the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol – “thanks to President Putin’s initiative”, 80 civilians were rescued from Azovstal, including women and children held by fighters at the plant. Initial information was about evacuees from buildings to the plant, later it was changed.
Earlier, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that they had participated in the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol.
The evacuation of civilians from Mariupol, who are not in Azovstal but in other parts of the city, has been postponed until tomorrow, May 2, according to a statement from the city council. Procrastination is for safety. The evacuation begins at 8:00 a.m. near Port City Mall.
Mariupol was the hottest point of the war so far, both because of the brutal attack from the first days of the Russian offensive and because of the extremely severe humanitarian crisis created by the blockade of the city. He has been without water, electricity and communications for more than a month. For more than a month, other local authorities in the city say more than 90% of the city has been destroyed.
