Seven are said to have been killed by Russian bombing already
Russia has officially launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine under order from President Vladimir Putin.
The “special military operation” was announced by Putin in the early hours on Thursday, February 24, in which he warned the West will face “consequences never encountered in your history” should they try to intervene.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announces a military operation in Ukraine https://t.co/YGkiBS8DgG pic.twitter.com/OwKPpNgwy1
— TIME (@TIME) February 24, 2022
Following initial reports of airstrikes and explosions across cities such as Kyiv, Podilsk, Kharkiv, Mariupol and more, an update has now confirmed that nearly all major parts of Ukraine have been subject to Russian attacks.
This is just one of many videos online showing city skylines being lit up by the explosions and locals wake up to the sound of shelling and explosions:
Minutes after President Vladimir Putin of Russia announced a military operation in eastern Ukraine, explosions were visible near the city of Kharkiv. By early Thursday morning, several Ukrainian cities were under attack.
Follow updates on the invasion. https://t.co/DYJz87LmcM pic.twitter.com/o2FQHYrqsu
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 24, 2022
At least seven people have already been confirmed dead across, with one attack in Podilsk, a city just outside Odessa, claiming six while another seven were injured. At least 19 people are also still unaccounted for.
As you can see in the unconfirmed footage below, sirens ring out and civilians watch helplessly below as squadrons made up of various types of Russian aircraft appear to fly over the city of Khariv before launching their airstrike.
https://twitter.com/jankibaat1/status/1496742470343819267?s=20&t=dwcSt0bYKnA7UBIZSBGufQ
BREAKING: Apartment complex near Ukraine's Kharkiv hit by airstrike, causing an unknown number of casualties – reporter pic.twitter.com/PdQxuprwWv
— BNO News (@BNONews) February 24, 2022
As well as shelling cities and sending military vehicles into the north and south of the country through Belarus and (significantly) the Crimea, respectively, Putin’s operation has also been to target key military locations, with port cities, military bases and airports being hit with airstrikes.
https://twitter.com/W4RW4ATCHER/status/1496733870074519555?s=20&t=CpvkqmcRtck8Ni2BR2KC6g
! Ukraine's central military command reports Russia bombed several airports, including Kyiv Boryspil, Nikolaev, Kramatorsk, Kherson. Kharkiv military airport is burning. pic.twitter.com/IOrfGZgPL4
— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) February 24, 2022
In terms of national defence, it has been reported that one attack helicopter and five planes have managed to be taken down by the Ukrainian army.
As convoys of trucks and tanks continue to sweep through the nation, how the full-scale invasion of Ukraine is managed on the ground remains to be seen.
#UPDATE Russia's ground forces have crossed into Ukraine from several directions, Ukraine's border guard service says.
Russian tanks and other equipment crossed the frontier in several northern regions, as well as from Kremlin-annexed Crimea in the south, the agency says pic.twitter.com/HtNzhMPMFy
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 24, 2022
While Putin has claimed he is had moved to defend the Donbas region which “suffered abuse and genocide from the Kyiv regime” during the 2014 annexation. He went on to add that “the responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodshed will lie entirely on the conscience of Ukraine’s ruling regime”.
For now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged his people to “stay calm” and “stay home”, reassuring them that “the army is working” and that the US is beginning to gather “international support.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine declared martial law in the country because of the Russian invasion.
Speaking in a TV address on Thursday morning, he did not clarify what restrictions would be in place. https://t.co/fGQ0BExS5r pic.twitter.com/9SFvnle5GX
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 24, 2022
Putin had already warned that Europe would be dragged into a military conflict should NATO decide to grant Ukraine membership into the alliance; now, the Russian leader insists the Kremlin will continue its operation “as long as necessary” as it aims to “cleanse and liberate” Ukraine of “Nazi’s“.
Related links
- Trump calls Putin ‘savvy’ and ‘genius’ as escalations on Russia-Ukraine border rise
- Nigel Farage has managed to blame Russia’s ‘invasion’ of Ukraine on the EU and Nato
- Mysterious “Z” appears on Russian tanks – and experts have no idea what they mean
