Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a direct enchantment to Ukrainian troops, telling them to "take energy into your individual arms" as he known as on them to overthrow the federal government in Kyiv.

In a televised deal with on Friday, Putin mentioned it will be "simpler for us to come back to an settlement than with this gang of junkies and neo-Nazis" in a reference to the federal government in Kyiv which he added, "took the complete Ukrainian individuals hostage."

"Don't enable neo-Nazis", Putin mentioned "to make use of your youngsters, your wives and outdated individuals as human shields."

This sentiment echoes an earlier Russian navy assertion accusing Ukrainian forces of deploying heavy weapons in huge cities, together with Kyiv and Kharkiv, to make use of civilians as shields.

"They're performing like terrorists the world over, shielding behind individuals so as to accuse Russia of inflicting casualties among the many peaceable inhabitants," Putin mentioned.

His feedback look like the primary perception into his motive for invading Ukraine, which he initially claimed was a transfer to "de-militarize" the nation.

After heavy bombing and preventing throughout the county, it alerts that his intention is to overthrow the Ukrainian authorities, headed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Putin usually makes use of the time period "Neo-Nazis" to disparage the Ukrainian authorities. Zelenskyy, who's Jewish, has dismissed the time period whereas Western international locations additionally reject the declare as propaganda.

In Friday's deal with to the Russian Safety Council, Putin mentioned Kyiv-backed forces "have put up heavy armaments together with a number of rocket launch techniques."

"It's recognized for certain that every one that is occurring on suggestions from overseas consultants, American advisers above all."

He went on to reward Russian troops for performing in a "brave and professional method" and mentioned that they had been "efficiently fixing crucial job of guaranteeing the safety of our individuals and our Fatherland."

Putin and Russian officers have mentioned Russian forces are solely concentrating on ultra-nationalists in Ukraine though many civilian casualties have been reported.

In the meantime, greater than 50,000 Ukrainian refugees have left the nation over the past two days, in response to United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. Most of them had been heading to Poland and Moldova, he tweeted.

Russian president Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Kremlin in Moscow on February 21, 2022. He has informed Ukrainian navy personnel to not enable "Neo Nazis" to make use of "youngsters, your wives and elders as human shields.” ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/Getty

Replace 02/25/22, 1:00 p.m. ET: This text has been up to date with additional data.