Russian Defense Minister orders Ukraine’s long-range weapons to be “priority target” of Moscow attacks

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu issued instructions on Monday to make Ukraine’s long-range weapons a priority target in the face of recent “attacks on residential areas in Donbas” and “deliberate burning” of farm fields. The Russian Ministry of Defense has indicated in a statement published on its website that Shoigu has made a visit to a group of troops involved in the “special military operation” in Ukraine during the day and has given an order that “priority be given to the use of high-precision weapons to eliminate the enemy’s missile and artillery means.” Thus, he explained that this weaponry is being used by kyiv “to launch attacks against residential areas in settlements in Donbas — where the self-proclaimed republics are located. of Donetsk and Lugansk– and to start fires in wheat fields and in grain stores”. Shoigu’s visit to the East Group troops took place just two days after he made similar visits to the South and Center groups on Saturday, asking them to intensify their operations, in the framework of the war unleashed on February 24 , due to the invasion order given by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, who days before had recognized the independence of these republics.