A woman and a child leave the Luhansk region by bus.
(Photo: dpa)
Dusseldorf The Russian military launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine on Thursday. Heavy explosions could be heard in Kiev, Kharkiv and Odessa before dawn. Russian forces reported knocking out Ukrainian air defenses.
According to an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the first attacks claimed the lives of around 40 people. NATO has announced that it will strengthen its armed forces on the eastern flank, while the EU plans tough sanctions against Russia.
In a dramatic message, Zelensky declared a state of war and said Ukrainian authorities would issue arms to anyone willing to defend the country. “Ukraine’s future depends on every Ukrainian,” he said, urging all those ready for defense to come to the Interior Ministry assembly points.
There have already been several air alerts in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev because of the Russian attack.
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On Thursday, the city administration called on all citizens to get to safety in air raid shelters. The streets may not be entered.
People wait with suitcases for public transport in Kiev to leave the region.
(Photo: Bloomberg)
Defense Minister Oleksii Resnikov said anyone who is willing and able to hold a gun can join the armed forces. Police said guns would be issued to veterans.
After the explosions in Kharkiv, people flee their homes and the city. Others tried to protect themselves from the shelling of Russia in the subways. Airlines are avoiding the airspace over Ukraine.
Smoke and flames rise near a military building after an apparent Russian attack.
(Photo: dpa)
Russian troops have attacked an airfield near the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. At least three Russian helicopters were shot down, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said.
A woman sits on her luggage while waiting at the train station to leave the city.
(Photo: dpa)
A Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter stands in a field after making an emergency landing outside the Ukrainian capital.
(Photo: dpa)
The Hostomel airfield is located around 30 kilometers north-west of the center of the Ukrainian capital. People try to leave the area by bus, train or car.
Long lines form in front of the gas stations.
(Photo: AP)
The UN refugee agency UNHCR is asking Ukraine’s neighboring countries for support. States should keep their borders open, says High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
People are preparing to flee the Luhansk province.
(Photo: AP)
The affected regions in Ukraine are scarred by the attacks. Fragments of the missiles lie on the streets, next to houses and in playgrounds.
Parts of a missile lie on a playground.
(Photo: dpa)
People stand next to fragments of a missile.
(Photo: dpa)
The Federal Foreign Office has urged German nationals in Ukraine to leave the country as a matter of urgency. “If you cannot leave the country safely, stay in a safe place for the time being,” the State Department tweeted.
Russian tanks entered Ukraine in several places. Ukrainian border troops reported Russian armored units in the east and north-east of the country.
Ukrainian forces en route to embattled eastern Ukraine.
(Photo: Reuters)
Ukrainian soldiers load leftover equipment at a destroyed military base.
(Photo: AP)
Damaged radars and other equipment are seen at a Ukrainian military facility outside the city.
(Photo: dpa)
Attacks are also coming from the annexed peninsula of Crimea, the Ukrainian side said. According to the Interior Ministry, military command centers were attacked in several cities. Kiev is also affected, says an official at the ministry.
More: Read the current developments in the Ukraine war in the live blog.