Ukraine Crisis: Russia’s “Full-Scale Invasion, Cities Under Strikes”, Says Ukraine: 10 Points

Mr Putin said the decision of a military operation was taken to defend separatists in eastern Ukraine. The surprise statement was made on television shortly before 6 am today.

“Will conduct a special military operation in Donbass,” Mr Putin said, and warned against foreign interference. Powerful blasts were heard in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and the eastern port city of Mariupol, shortly after the announcement, news agency AFP reported.

The announcement came just hours ahead of a special emergency session in the UN Security Council. The meeting was scheduled after Mr Putin recognised the independence of Ukraine’s breakaway regions.

Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is targeting cities with weapons strikes, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet on Thursday. News agency Interfax reported rocket attacks on military facilities throughout Ukraine and that Russian troops had landed in the southern port cities of Odessa and Mariupol.

Earlier, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky made an emotional late-night appeal to Russians not to support “a major war in Europe”. Speaking Russian, Mr Zelensky said that the people of Russia are being lied to about Ukraine and that the possibility of war also “depends on you”.

Mr Putin has recognised their independence and signed friendship treaties with Ukraine breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, inviting strong criticisms from the US and its allies.

“Who in the Lord’s name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belongs to his neighbours?” US President Joe Biden said as he announced economic sanctions against Russia.

The US has said it would continue to supply “defensive” weapons to Ukraine against the Russian invasion and deploy US troops to reinforce NATO allies in eastern Europe. The steps are expected to bolster the now more than 90,000 US troops temporarily or permanently deployed in Europe.

India has asked “all sides” to exercise “utmost restraint”, saying the mounting crisis can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.

Russia has repeatedly rejected US allegations that it intends to invade Ukraine as “hysteria” and propaganda. The Donetsk and Luhansk separatists reportedly hold about 30% of the territory of the two Ukrainian regions as of Wednesday, with the rest under the control of government forces.