MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a military operation in eastern Ukraine, claiming it’s intended to protect civilians.

In a televised address early Thursday, Putin says the action comes in response to threats coming from Ukraine.

He adds that Russia doesn’t have a goal to occupy Ukraine. Putin says the responsibility for bloodshed lies with the Ukrainian “regime.”

Putin also is warning other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action will lead to “consequences they have never seen.”