LIVE UPDATES: Putin Orders to Continue Special Op After Liberation of Lugansk People's Republic

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." As of March 25, the Russian Armed Forces completed the main tasks of the first stage, significantly reducing the combat potential of Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.

"These videos have become another confirmation of the illegal activity of Ukraine's armed units," it said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." As of March 25, the Russian Armed Forces completed the main tasks of the first stage, significantly reducing the combat potential of Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Washington officials have said that the possibility of Ukraine’s entry into NATO is not being considered at this stage. At the same time, the United States emphasized that the alliance would never abandon the "open door" policy and did not rule out Kiev may join NATO in the future.

In early June, Muscovites chose the name for the square near the US embassy, with the option the Square of the Donetsk People's Republic receiving the highest number of votes.

"This includes: Exports of oil refining goods. Exports of advanced technology components, such as those used in quantum computing. Exports of luxury goods, including British artwork and designer handbags. Imports of Belarusian iron and steel," the statement read.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, commenting on Sofia's decision to expel 70 employees of the Russian embassy, that Moscow would respond to these actions, and that the Russian embassy was unable to work normally after it.

"According to our assessment, according to the assessment of the foreign ministry, the embassy is not able to work normally, in fact almost from now on. Naturally, we will reciprocate our Bulgarian colleagues," Lavrov said during a press conference in Moscow.

Lavrov said that the decision to expel 70 employees of the Russian embassy in Bulgaria was due to Washington's pressure on Sofia.

"This is not an independent decision of the acting prime minister, who has an absolutely open and unequivocal pro-US orientation, is ready to fulfill any wishes of his sovereign," the minister said.

He explained that "the wishes of the sovereign are to kill the historical memory in the Bulgarians, to destroy the foundation of relations that have been hardened in the joint struggle for independence, and in many other situations, including in recent history."

"Washington's policy applies not only to Bulgaria, they want to kill the historical memory of other peoples in the Balkans, first of all, the Orthodox peoples, by the way," the minister added.

According to Lavrov, even in Bulgaria itself the decision was taken "by the country's leadership with surprise."

Lavrov noted that this decision "did not rely on the procedures established in Bulgaria for such abrupt movements."

The Finnish authorities are unlikely to be asked on NATO's military infrastructure deployment in the country if the alliance decides to make such a step, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"But if the Americans decide to deploy NATO's military infrastructure there, I don't think anyone will ask Mr. [Finnish Foreign] Minister [Pekka Haavisto]," Lavrov said at a press conference, commenting on the statement of his Finnish colleagues that there was no need to deploy NATO's military infrastructure on the country's territory.

Russian diplomats declared personae non gratae in Bulgaria have already left Sophia and arrived to Moscow, the Russian embassy in Bulgaria told Sputnik.

"Yes, they have already arrived in Moscow. They flew to Moscow on two flights yesterday," the embassy said.

The death toll from the Ukrainian air strike in the Russian city of Belgorod has grown to five as bodies of two more members of the same family had been found, their relative told Sputnik on Monday.

Ukraine targeted Belgorod's residential area with three Tochka-U missiles, equipped with cluster warheads, on Saturday night. All three missiles were intercepted and destroyed in the air by Russian air defense systems, but fragments of one of the Ukrainian missiles fell on an inhabited house.

"Oleg, his first wife Olga, their two children — a daughter aged 22 and a son who would have turned 16 in August — and Olga's mother," a member of family said.

The bodies of the latter two were found on Sunday evening, she said.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov initially said there were four people killed and four others injured, including a child, as a result of the strike. The Russian investigative agency, in turn, said there were three people killed and two missing, including a child.

Pope Francis has expressed a desire to visit Russia and Ukraine after his trip to Canada scheduled for July 24-29, Reuters reported on Monday.

"I would like to go [to Ukraine], and I wanted to go to Moscow first... And now it is possible, after I come back from Canada, it is possible that I manage to go to Ukraine. The first thing is to go to Russia to try to help in some way, but I would like to go to both capitals," Pope Francis was quoted as saying by the news agency.