* Speaking in late January, Lavrov denied Moscow was planning an invasion
* But less than a month after his comments, Putin ordered troops into Ukraine
* Speaking on Tuesday, Lavrov said Russia would not use nuclear weapons 'at this stage' of the invasion as Moscow said a new phase to take Donbas had begun
* Lavrov also denied that Russian forces were targeting civilians in Ukraine
* This is despite mounting evidence of atrocities carried out by Moscow's troops
Russia is not considering using nuclear weapons 'at this stage' of its invasion of Ukraine, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has warned.
In an interview in which he parroted Vladimir Putin's propaganda over Moscow's brutal military actions, Lavrov blamed the US, the West and NATO expansion for his country's so-called 'special operation'.
When asked by India Today whether Russia had any intention of using nuclear weapons, Lavrov said: 'At this stage, we are considering the option of conventional weapons only,' according to Russia's RIA state news agency.
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Update #1: Russia Will Not Use Nuclear Weapons in Ukraine, Lavrov Says (Bloomberg)
Update #2: Russia is starting new phase of its Ukraine operation, foreign minister says (Reuters)
Update #3: Russian foreign minister: ‘Another stage of this operation is beginning’ (The Hill)
WNU Editor: IMHO the battle for Donbas has been ongoing and intensifying for the past few weeks.The Russian foreign minister's remark that this is now the second phase of the war has yet to be seen. In addition the Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to make a public announcement that the second phase has begun.