Russia will continue its special military operation in Ukraine until achieving the main goal of defending itself from Western threats, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.

"The main thing for us is to protect Russia from the military threat posed by Western countries that are trying to use the Ukrainian people in the fight against our country," Shoigu said during a video conference with top defense officials.

The Russian military is not occupying Ukrainian territory and is taking all measures to preserve the lives and safety of civilians, he reiterated.

"I would like to stress that the strikes are carried out only against military targets and exclusively with high-precision weapons," Shoigu said.