Russia is seeking to conduct its special military operation with maximum precision in order to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure and casualties among non-combatants, TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov said.

Kondrashov described Russia’s current approach as resembling a surgical operation rather than conventional warfare. According to him, Russian forces are trying to avoid striking infrastructure used exclusively for civilian purposes and to prevent unjustified civilian deaths.

At the same time, he stressed that such restraint has limits. Kondrashov said Russia would take a different approach toward those who are now preparing for a full-scale military confrontation with the country.

On August 20, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were currently no grounds to expect a rapid peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. He attributed the situation to Kiev’s position.

Peskov also said that conditions along the front line remained broadly unchanged and well known. In his assessment, there had been no significant shifts, while the special military operation was continuing.

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the operation as having a liberating character. He has also said that Ukraine had been prepared for confrontation with Russia since 2014 despite repeated attempts by Moscow to resolve the conflict peacefully.