Here is a report from the Guardian’s Moscow correspondent Andrew Roth on the Kremlin’s messaging to Russians.
Russian lawmakers have been busy trying to justify the country’s invasion of Ukraine, despite growing evidence of missile and rocket strikes on population centres.
Valentina Matviyenko, the chairwoman of Russia’s Federation Council, said that the government had “no other choice†but to launch an attack that appears to be aimed at capturing major Ukrainian cities like Kyiv.
“Russia has announced a special military operation to force Ukraine to peace, to stop its militarisation going on in the most active way,†she said in public remarks on Friday morning.
Matviyenko, who was born in western Ukraine, added: “We were left with no other choice. Yes, it is not an easy choice, but it is the only way to stop the fratricidal war.â€
Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the State Duma, repeated earlier remarks that the massive attack on their country was being carried out in the interests of Ukrainians.
“Ukrainian citizens shouldn’t be afraid of the peacekeeping operation. It is solely aimed at demilitarization,†Volodin said during a visit to Nicaragua.
He also repeated claims that the operation was aimed at de-Nazification: an indication that if the operation is successful, Russia may seek to carry out reprisals against Ukrainains.
“Ukraine must become a free, independent, democratic and peaceful nation once it is free from the anti-popular regime with a Nazi ideology, and begin developing in the interests of its own citizens,†he said.
Russian Rosgvardia troops with prisoner vans have been pictured entering Ukraine and US intelligence have warned that Russia has drawn up lists with the names of activists and others who it is planning to target. While that intelligence has not been confirmed, the US has correctly predicted the broader Russian invasion into Ukraine. And Putin has warned that he has planned to punish those guilty of violence against Russians.
