The Click Times: Russian forces launched a military attack on neighboring Ukraine, crossing its borders and shelling military targets near major cities.
In a pre-dawn TV statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia has no plans to occupy Ukraine and called on its military to lay down arms. Moments later, attacks on Ukrainian military targets were reported. Ukraine said that “Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.” Belarus. At least seven people have been killed in Russian attacks, police say. Another 19 are missing.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that martial law would now be imposed throughout Ukraine.
“No panic. We’re strong. We are prepared for anything. We will defeat everyone because we are Ukraine,” the Ukrainian leader said in a video statement. Before Russia’s attack, he had made a last-ditch effort to prevent a war, warning that Russia could start “a war in Europe” and urging Russian citizens to to oppose it. Warning sirens blared across the capital, which has a population of nearly three million.
Traffic backed out of the city overnight and crowds took refuge in the Kiev metro. Several neighboring countries have started preparations to take in large numbers of refugees.
“We don’t understand what to do now,” a woman said to Svetlana. he told the BBC. “Now we are going to a place where we are safe and hopefully can leave safely. We have family in Mariupol and they are very nervous now.”
What Russia has in its sights
According to Zelenskyy, Russia first launched attacks on Ukraine’s military infrastructure and border guard units. Ukrainian forces then said Russian military vehicles had crossed the border into Kharkiv to the north, Luhansk to the east, Russia-annexed Crimea to the south and also out of Belarus.
The Ukrainian military said Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport was among a number of airfields that had been bombed, along with military barracks and warehouses in the major cities of Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv and Mariupol. Zelenskyi said Russia has deployed nearly 200,000 troops and thousands of combat vehicles on Ukraine’s borders.
“Without provocation or justification”
The Russian leader launched the “special military operation” by repeating a series of unsubstantiated claims he made this week that Ukraine’s democratically elected government was responsible for eight years of genocide.
He said the goal was to demilitarize and “denazify” Ukraine. Hours earlier, the President of Ukraine had asked how a people that had lost eight million of their citizens in the fight against the Nazis supported Nazism,”How could I be a Nazi?” said Zelenskyj, who is also Jewish. Ukraine’s western allies had repeatedly warned of an imminent invasion of Russia, despite repeated denials from Moscow. The US, EU, UK and Japan imposed sanctions on major Russians, Russian banks and parliamentarians who backed the move.
In response to Russia’s attack, US President Joe Biden said that Washington and its allies would respond with unity and determination to “an unprovoked and unwarranted attack by Russian forces” on Ukraine.
“President Putin has elected a premeditated war that will result in catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” Biden said. “The world will hold Russia accountable.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the EU supports Ukraine and Russia “must withdraw its army.” The EU’s 27 leaders were due to hold an emergency summit later on Thursday.
Britain’s Boris Johnson said he was “shocked by the terrible events in Ukraine”. and that President Putin “chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack.” “Together with allies, we will respond to this barbaric act of aggression,” said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky.
Also read President Biden Announces New Sanctions on Russia.
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