Putin said that he had made the decision to hold a special military operation 'to protect Donbas.'
"'People’s republics' of Donbas approached Russia with a request for help. In connection therewith, <…> I made the decision to hold a special military operation. Its goal is to protect the people...," Putin said in his televised speech.
He said Russia remains one of the most powerful nuclear states in the world, therefore, any potential aggressor should have no doubt that they will be fully destroyed.