Ukraine-Russia War: Ukraine involved in genocide in Donbass region, claims Russia

Amid the ever-escalating Russia-Ukraine war, Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Wednesday, said that Ukraine is involved in genocide in the Donbass region. According to Russia Today, Putin said that Ukraine was encouraged by the US and other Western countries and 'purposefully prepared for a military scenario'. 

Putin said, "Encouraged by the US and other Western countries, Ukraine was purposefully preparing for a massacre & an ethnic cleansing in Donbass. A massive onslaught on Donbas & then Crimea was simply a matter of time. These plans were shattered by our Armed Forces."

"In Kyiv, they were not only preparing for war, for aggression against Russia, against the Donbass, but they were also waging it. Attempts to organise sabotage and terrorist underground did not stop. In recent years, hostilities have continued in the Donbass, with the shelling of peaceful settlements. During this time, almost 14,000 civilians died, including children," Russia Today quoted Putin as saying. 

Vladimir Putin calls for 'self-purification' of Russia

Putin had further slammed pro-Western Russians by calling them “national traitors” in a televised address. He said, "The West will try to rely on the so-called fifth column, on national traitors, on those who earn money here with us but live there. And I mean ‘live there’ not even in the geographical sense of the word, but according to their thoughts, their slavish consciousness,” adding that these people "cannot live without oysters and gender freedom."

The Russian President also targetted the Russians who are opposing the war in Ukraine. Putin said, "Russians will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths. And there is only one goal, I have already spoken about it — the destruction of Russia. I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country."

Meanwhile, more than 3 million Ukrainians fled their country since the invasion began on February 24. An estimated 1.8 million have crossed into Poland, while others first arrived at the borders of Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova.