Putin made a direct appeal to Ukraine's armed forces in his speech early Thursday.

The Russian president had a message for Ukraine's armed forces when he announced a "special military operation" in the Donbass - telling them:

▪️ Your fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers did not fight to defend our common homeland so that today's neo-Nazis could seize power."

▪️ You took an oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people - "not to the anti-people junta that robs them and mocks your country"

▪️ Putin called on Ukrainian forces to immediately lay down their arms and go home.

▪️ The Russian president assured that all soldiers of the Ukrainian army who make this decision will be able to leave the combat zone unhindered.

All responsibility for the bloodshed will be "on the conscience of the ruling regime of Ukraine."