Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Thursday that anyone who attacks the Russian military will become a target. He stressed that attacks by Ukrainian paramilitary troops force Russian servicemen to return fire.
Peskov also recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had urged people in Ukraine to lay down their weapons, saying it will prevent possible clashes.
The warning from the Kremlin comes in response to steps by Kiev, as the Ukrainian government has handed out military weapons to civilians and freed violent criminals from jail.
In this handout video grab released by the Russian Defence Ministry, Russian armored vehicles are seen in Kiev region, Ukraine
© Photo : Russian Ministry of Defence
On 24 February, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine to protect civilians in the Donbass People's Republics, as Donetsk and Lugansk appealed to Moscow for assistance following the repeated shelling of their territories by Ukrainian forces. President Vladimir Putin explained that the key goal of the operation is the "demilitarisation and denazification" of Ukraine, stressing that Moscow aims to eliminate a threat to Russia's national security.
The Russian Ministry of Defence has repeatedly highlighted that the armed forces are only striking Ukrainian military infrastructure with precision weapons, and that there is no threat to the civilian population.