MOSCOW 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that all goals of the country's "special military operation" in Ukraine will be achieved.

Speaking at the Vostochny Cosmodrome ahead of the meeting with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Putin said a collision between Russia and Ukraine was inevitable because the West was turning Ukraine into an anti-Russia base.

"Ukraine was turning into an anti-Russian foothold, the sprouts of nationalism and neo-Nazism were carefully grown there, the sprouts that had been there for a long time.

"The neo-Nazism was specially grown, and Russia's clash with these forces was inevitable, they only were choosing the time to attack," he said.

Putin praised the actions of the Russian army saying the servicemen are fighting "courageously and competently."

"There is no doubt that the Russian Armed Forces will achieve their goals. The goals are absolutely clear, they are noble. Our main goal is to help people in Donbas, the people of Donbas, which we recognized, had to do it because the Kiev authorities, pushed by the West, refused to implement the Minsk agreements aimed at a peaceful solution to the problems of Donbas," he said.

At least 1,842 civilians have been killed and 2,493 injured in Ukraine since Russia declared war on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be much higher.

Over 4.5 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.​​​​