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Kiev was preparing a provocation to exterminate the population of the Donbass republics, and Russian President Vladimir Putin saved hundreds of thousands of lives in the breakaway region, former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov revealed on Friday.

"Only now has it become possible to publish intelligence data on the preparation of a provocation followed by a treacherous strike with the destruction of the population on the territory of the LPR and DPR [the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics]."

Azarov indicated on Facebook that "Putin outstripped Ukraine and NATO and actually saved hundreds of thousands of lives of the republics."

The plan of Ukraine's attack on the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics was developed jointly with the United States, he added.

A week before the start of Russia’s special military operation, a map of the offensive that was set to take place by Ukrainian troops against the Donbass region republics was reported.

The intelligence report showed when Ukrainian strikes would be delivered, by which units and by which weapons.

"There is a belief that this plan was developed jointly with NATO curators, since the Americans had previously transferred about 5,000 of their soldiers to Poland," he added.

It is noteworthy that Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, had criticized the West for turning a blind eye on Ukraine's war crimes against civilians in eastern Ukraine and for defending Ukraine incessantly. 

A few days ago, the President of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, announced that the Ukrainian army continues to fiercely bomb cities and towns in the Donbass region.

Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls from the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk for help in countering the aggression of Ukrainian forces, which has been ongoing since 2014.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger.