Russian President, Vladimir Putin has ordered a “military operation” in Ukraine, following reports of explosions near Kyiv.
In what is likely to be the beginning of a Russian invasion, Vladimir Putin has officially ordered a “military operation” in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
The Russian President announced the operation on live television, indicating the beginning of a full-scale invasion.
Ukrainian residents are “waking up to a nightmare,” with reported explosions and artillery fire near the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and and Kharkiv at approximately 5am local time.
Up to three other locations in Ukraine are likely to have experienced missile attacks, with the nation’s interior ministry already reporting “hundreds of casualties.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has referred to the operation as a “full-scale war”.
Vladimir Putin has warned external forces not to interfere with the invasion, or they will face “consequences they have never seen.”
The United Nations are pleading with the Russian President to withdraw his troops from the Ukrainian border, tweeting, “President Putin, in the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia.”
"President Putin, in the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia.
This conflict must stop now."
— @antonioguterres on the developments regarding Ukraine. https://t.co/QYDflm1Co5 pic.twitter.com/s3aWCHWHYZ
— United Nations (@UN) February 24, 2022
Raid sirens have sounded in multiple Ukrainian cities, as the country’s military prepare for Russian aircrafts – one of which has already been shot down.
The President of Ukraine says he’s building an ‘anti-Putin coalition’ while more locally, Scott Morrison has condemned Putin’s “unprovoked” and “brutal” invasion.
