OREANDA-NEWS. Russia does not intend to initiate a military operation against Ukraine, but has the right to promptly use its armed forces to protect Russian citizens abroad in the event of an attack on them, said Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev.

"No, and again no, Russia is not hatching plans of its own free will to carry out a military operation against Ukraine," Kosachev said in an interview with Interfax, which will be published in the near future on the Interfax.ru website.

In his opinion, there is no point in conducting "some kind of proactive military operation against Ukraine." "Russia has never attacked anyone first. I think that this will not happen in the future," the senator said.

At the same time, he noted, Russia sees how the situation around Donbass is escalating, "how Ukraine is being pushed to try to solve the problems of the South-East by military means."

“Moreover, the provocateurs both inside and outside Ukraine understand exactly what will happen in this case. the current federal law "On Defense."

According to him, one of the grounds on which the RF Armed Forces can be operatively used abroad is the protection of Russian citizens outside its territory in the event of an armed attack on them.