The Russian offensive in the neighboring state is going as planned, Defense Minister Shoigu has said

The Russian military campaign in Ukraine is progressing as intended, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has said. The relatively slow pace is the result of a conscious decision to protect civilian lives, he stated.

Speaking at an international event on Wednesday, the minister stated that Russia “strictly follows the norms of humanitarian law” in Ukraine, countering claims to the contrary made by Kiev.

“We do everything to avoid casualties among peaceful citizens. Certainly, it slows down the pace of the offensive, but we take this approach consciously,” he added.

Shoigu contrasted Russia’s priorities in Ukraine with those of the US and its allies. The ongoing supplying of weapons to Kiev and other Western policies only prolong the conflict and inflate the human cost, he said.

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Western nations have accused Russia of launching an unprovoked war of aggression against the neighboring country, and have said their military assistance will continue for “as long as it takes.” Moscow, which believes the operation was necessary to stop NATO’s creeping expansion into Ukraine, says its opponents want to “fight to the last Ukrainian” in order to hurt Russia.

The senior Russian military official was speaking during a ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional Eurasian security group that counts nations such as China, India, and Pakistan among its members.