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Magomedsalam Magomedov, deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, listed four reasons justifying Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
"The open support and promotion of the neo-Nazi ideology, a speedy militarization of Ukraine, constant calls for the annexation of Russian territories, an increasing threat to our national security and stability left our country's President Vladimir Putin no other choice but to launch the special military operation," Magomedov said on Thursday, according to Russian news agency Tass.
Over eight months have passed since the start of the war in Ukraine, or what Putin calls a "special military operation," on February 24. Though the numbers of war casualties on both sides are not regularly updated, Valeriy Zaluzhny, commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, said in August that his country has lost 9,000 military personnel, according to Ukrinform.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in August that Ukraine killed or wounded 45,200 soldiers from the Russian military. Newsweek was unable to independently verify those figures.
Meanwhile, Sergei Shoigu, Russia's defense minister, said that 5,937 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion in February, Reuters reported in September.
Russia has been facing obstacles as it continues to fight Ukrainian troops, who recently advanced in taking back some of their territories, including parts of the Kherson region. Russian troops have been reportedly suffering from poor morale and difficulty with obtaining equipment and armor.
Still, Magomedov argued on Thursday that the decision to go to war against Ukraine was "necessary," according to Tass.
"This was not an easy decision but an extremely necessary one, first of all, for the sake of the future of our country, our children and grandchildren," he explained. "This decision is supported by a prevailing majority of the Russian people."
Russian troops reportedly abandoned checkpoints in the Kherson region recently, with images circulating online appearing to show that a Russian flag had been pulled down from a city council building.
Yuriy Sobolevskyi, the deputy head of Kherson's regional council, posted a photo on his Telegram channel that he says was taken on Thursday.
"Kherson Oblast State Administration. The photo was taken today. The mysterious disappearance of you know what ... Kherson was, is, and will be only Ukrainian. And if not us, you [Russian forces] will take off your rags [Russian flags]," he wrote.
In September, Putin ordered the "partial mobilization" of reservists and ex-military personnel to join the war in Ukraine, but those efforts seem to be failing as Russian Colonel General Andrey Kartapolov announced last month that some 10,000 mistakenly mobilized Russians have been returned home.
Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian foreign affairs ministry for comment.
About the writer
Fatma Khaled is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. politics, world ... Read more