During a press conference on May 21, 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the Russian military deliberately avoids using certain types of weapons in the zone of a special military operation. The reason is a reluctance to cause "excessive damage to territories" where, in his words, "our people essentially live."

The head of the foreign policy department did not specify which specific weapons systems were meant.

Previously, Russian officials have repeatedly emphasized that the strikes are aimed exclusively at military facilities and infrastructure of the Ukrainian army. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that they are avoiding targets in densely populated areas to minimize civilian casualties.