Russia has "practically" completed the "mission" of destroying Ukraine's main military infrastructure, including weapon warehouses, ammunition depots, aviation and air defense systems, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.

"Russian forces will fulfill all their assigned tasks and the operation in Ukraine is proceeding in accordance with the plan and schedule," Putin was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. Commenting on a new wave of Western sanctions, Putin, at a meeting with women flight crews of Russian airlines, said that they (Western countries) are akin to a "declaration of war."