<p>President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Western sanctions on Russia were akin to a declaration of war and warned that any attempt to impose a no-fly zone in Ukraine would be tantamount to entering the conflict.</p>.<p>Putin reiterated that his aims in Ukraine are to defend Russian speaking communities through the "demilitarisation and de-Nazification" of the country so that it became neutral.</p>.<p>Ukraine and Western countries have dismissed this as a baseless pretext for the invasion he launched on Feb. 24 and have imposed a sweeping range of sanctions aimed at isolating Moscow.</p>.<p>"These sanctions that are being imposed are akin to a declaration of war but thank God it has not come to that," Putin said, speaking to a group of women flight attendants at an Aeroflot training centre near Moscow.</p>.<p>He said any attempt by another power to impose a no-fly zone in Ukraine would be considered by Russia to be a step into the military conflict. NATO has rejected Kyiv's request for a no-fly zone, on the grounds it would escalate the war beyond Ukraine.</p>.<p>Putin said there were no conscripts involved in the military operation, which he said was being carried out only by professional soldiers.</p>.<p>"There is not one conscript and we don't plan for there to be," Putin said. "Our army will fulfil all the tasks. I don't doubt that at all. Everything is going to plan."</p>.<p>Putin dismissed concerns that some sort of martial law or emergency situation could be declared in Russia. He said such a measure was imposed only when there was significant internal or external threat.</p>.<p>"We don't plan to introduce any kind of special regime on Russian territory - there is currently no need," Putin said.</p>.<p>His government has clamped down on protests in Russia against the war. </p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Western sanctions on Russia were akin to a declaration of war and warned that any attempt to impose a no-fly zone in Ukraine would be tantamount to entering the conflict.</p>.<p>Putin reiterated that his aims in Ukraine are to defend Russian speaking communities through the "demilitarisation and de-Nazification" of the country so that it became neutral.</p>.<p>Ukraine and Western countries have dismissed this as a baseless pretext for the invasion he launched on Feb. 24 and have imposed a sweeping range of sanctions aimed at isolating Moscow.</p>.<p>"These sanctions that are being imposed are akin to a declaration of war but thank God it has not come to that," Putin said, speaking to a group of women flight attendants at an Aeroflot training centre near Moscow.</p>.<p>He said any attempt by another power to impose a no-fly zone in Ukraine would be considered by Russia to be a step into the military conflict. NATO has rejected Kyiv's request for a no-fly zone, on the grounds it would escalate the war beyond Ukraine.</p>.<p>Putin said there were no conscripts involved in the military operation, which he said was being carried out only by professional soldiers.</p>.<p>"There is not one conscript and we don't plan for there to be," Putin said. "Our army will fulfil all the tasks. I don't doubt that at all. Everything is going to plan."</p>.<p>Putin dismissed concerns that some sort of martial law or emergency situation could be declared in Russia. He said such a measure was imposed only when there was significant internal or external threat.</p>.<p>"We don't plan to introduce any kind of special regime on Russian territory - there is currently no need," Putin said.</p>.<p>His government has clamped down on protests in Russia against the war. </p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>