2m ago
14:07
Summary
Here is a summary of some key events on the day Russia
launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine, triggering warnings from world leaders
of the biggest conflict in Europe since 1945.
- Minutes after Vladimir Putin ended weeks of agonised speculation by announcing a “special military operation” at dawn on Thursday, explosions were heard near major Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv. According to Ukrainian officials, the initial wave of strikes appeared to involve cruise missiles, artillery and airstrikes which struck military infrastructure and border positions, including airbases.
- Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, responded to the invasion by declaring martial law and saying Kyiv would issue weapons to every Ukrainian who wanted to defend their country. As Ukrainian diplomats pleaded with the world to stop the Russian aggression, Zelenskiy warned of a bleak return to the past.
- By mid-afternoon on Thursday, Russia’s defence ministry claimed to have “neutralised” Ukraine’s airbases and air defences, destroying 74 military ground facilities, including 11 airfields, three command posts and 18 radar stations for anti-aircraft missile systems. Ukrainian authorities said Russia had carried out 203 attacks and that fighting was raging across almost the entire territory.
- Thousands of Ukrainians are already on the move and leaving the country, with tens of thousands more preparing to flee, after the Russian attack ordered by Vladimir Putin. Videos and photos on social media show lines of cars moving out of cities and heading west, as well as an increase of people on foot near the southern and western borders.
- The UK’s prime minister Boris Johnson announced its “largest ever” set of economic sanctions on Russia, including pushing to end Russia’s use of the Swift international payment systems, freezing assets of all major Russian banks, limiting cash held by Russian nationals in UK banks and sanctioning more than 100 individuals and entities.
- Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, voiced his anger as EU heads of state and government appeared to hold back from imposing the potentially most damaging sanction on Russia. With casualties mounting, Kuleba warned that European and US politicians would have “blood on their hands” if they decided against blocking Russia from an international payments system through which it receives foreign currency.
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