Russian armed forces have blockaded Kiev, Kharkov, Chernigov, Sumy and Nikolayev, with the Kherson and most of the Zaporizhzhia regions under full control, Colonel General Sergey Rudskoy, first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, told reporters on Friday, TASS reported.

"Offensive actions of the Armed Forces of Russia are being carried out in various directions. As a result, Russian troops have blockaded Kiev, Kharkov, Chernigov, Sumy and Nikolayev. The Kherson region and most of the Zaporozhye region are under full control," he said.

According to the colonel-general, the Russian Armed Forces are causing such damage to the military infrastructure, equipment, and personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the blockaded cities that as a result, they are restraining the AFU forces and not allowing them to reinforce their grouping in Donbas until the Russian army completely liberates the territories of the DPR and LPR.

Options for a 'special operation'

"Russia considered two options for conducting a special operation: within the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk or on the entire territory of Ukraine. In the first case, the Ukrainian authorities would constantly support their military group," Rudskoy said.

"In this case, two options were possible. The first was to limit the territory to Donetsk and Luhansk within the administrative boundaries, which is enshrined in the constitutions of the republics. But then we would have been faced with constant support by the Ukrainian authorities to the grouping involved in the so-called combined forces operation," he said.

According to the general, that is why the second option was chosen, providing for actions on the entire territory of Ukraine with measures for its demilitarization and denationalization.