Russian President Vladimir Putin in a conversation with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, outlined Russia's position on the special military operation to protect Donbas, the official website of the Kremlin reported.

"The humanitarian aspects of the current situation were discussed substantially. Vladimir Putin, in particular, stressed that the Russian military was taking all possible measures to preserve the lives of civilians. The main threat comes from nationalist formations, which essentially use terrorist tactics, hiding behind civilians," the statement said.

It is noted that the Russian armed forces have already declared a "silence regime" several times in order to evacuate the population through humanitarian corridors. However, the Ukrainian National Battalions have prevented this by resorting to violence against civilians and all kinds of provocations. The Russian President called on the European Union to make a real contribution to saving people's lives, to put pressure on the Kiev authorities and make them respect humanitarian law.

"Vladimir Putin also assessed the course of the negotiations with Kiev's representatives, reiterating the well-known Russian demands," the report said.