UNITED NATIONS, June 10 (TASS) - The Russian special military operation in Ukraine is proceeding as scheduled, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said in an interview for BBC aired on Thursday.

I think it [the special operation] is progressing. Nobody promised to deliver it in three or seven days. Some pundits are saying now: 'the Russian special military operation now stalled, and is not progressing at the pace that was initially envisaged.' But the progress is being made. That's clear," the Russian diplomat said.

"One of the reasons of so the so-called slow pace is that we are not targeting civilian infrastructure," he continued, adding that the Russian forces are "only hitting military targets and that takes time."

"We're not doing carpet bombing or anything else like that. But the progress is there, that's for sure," Nebenzya said.

In his words, the operation "is developing according to the military plans that were initially envisaged."

"Of course [the operation proceeds] with minor tactical changes, because you cannot predict whatever happens on the frontline, but the plan is moving. I don't think that anybody in the Russian leadership was ever announcing the plans to take Kiev and install what you call a puppet government," he said.