Damaged radars and other equipment are seen at a Ukrainian military facility outside the city.
(Photo: dpa)
Moscow, Kiev Russian President Vladimir Putin has carried out his threat and issued the order to attack Ukraine. The Ukrainian government and military reported several attacks on Thursday, mainly in the north and north-east of the country.
Explosions could be heard in Kharkiv and the port city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, and alarm sirens wailed in Kiev in the morning. According to the border troops, Russian armored units in the east and north-east penetrated into Ukrainian territory. A second wave of rocket attacks hit Ukraine this morning, according to an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
There are also attacks from the annexed peninsula of Crimea. According to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, military command centers were attacked in several cities. Kiev is also affected, says an official at the ministry.
Russia’s actions met with dismay around the world. The EU announced a new and unprecedented package of sanctions.
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According to Ukrainian sources, at least eight people were killed by Russian shelling as of this morning. Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba spoke of a “large-scale war against Ukraine”. President Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law.
According to a Reuters reporter, several explosions were heard in the capital Kiev. Artillery fire could be heard in the eastern city of Donetsk, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists, according to eyewitnesses.
“Russia cannot feel safe”
According to the Russian news agency Ria, pro-Russian separatists took control of two towns in the Luhansk region. An attack on the port city of Odessa, initially reported from the Black Sea, was later denied by the Ukrainian military.
Explosions were heard in Kharkiv and the port city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov.
(Photo: Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on television shortly before the attacks began. Putin said he had authorized the military action and that Russia had no choice but to defend itself.
“Russia cannot feel safe, develop and live with a constant threat posed by modern Ukraine,” Putin said. “All responsibility for bloodshed rests with the ruling regime in Ukraine.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on television shortly before the attacks began.
(Photo: dpa)
The full extent of the Russian attack could not initially be assessed. But Putin said the goal is not to occupy Ukrainian territory. It’s about protecting people. The Ukrainian military should lay down their arms.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Putin to stop the attacks and give peace a chance. US President Joe Biden announced a “joint and decisive response to the unwarranted attack by the Russian military”.
Coordination of the G7, NATO and EU
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called a defense alliance meeting. “NATO allies will meet to discuss the consequences of Russia’s aggressive actions,” he said in Brussels. “NATO will do whatever is necessary to protect and defend all allies.” Ukraine is not part of NATO. Among other things, Putin had demanded that the government in Kiev permanently renounce NATO membership.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared: “This is a terrible day for Ukraine and a dark day for Europe.” Russia’s attack was a “blatant breach of international law” and “cannot be justified by anything”. Scholz requested a special session of the Bundestag for this Sunday to make a government statement. Bundestag President Bärbel Bas still has to approve the meeting, but this is assumed.
Germany condemns “this ruthless act” by Russian President Putin in the strongest possible terms, Scholz said in a statement. “Our solidarity is with Ukraine and its people.” Russia must stop military action immediately.
The Chancellor describes Russia’s attack on Ukraine as a “blatant breach of international law”.
(Photo: Reuters)
Scholz announced close coordination with partners in the G7, NATO and the European Union for the course of the day. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said: “The world community will not forget Russia on this day of shame.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of Article 5 in the NATO treaty, the defense commitment for all NATO members in the event of an attack. He and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, he said.
They talked about additional measures to secure NATO’s eastern borders. Poland called on NATO to strengthen its eastern flank. It is now time for that, said a government spokesman. “We expect such decisions to be made.”
reaction in the financial markets
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Brussels that Russian assets would be frozen in the EU and Russian banks would be cut off from financial markets. “The EU will adopt the toughest sanctions package it has ever adopted,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Both stressed that the EU would continue to support Ukraine. “We stand with Ukraine,” Borrell said. The 27 EU heads of state and government will meet in the evening for a special summit.
On the financial markets, the escalation of the Ukraine crisis drove up oil and gold prices, and share prices fell. Brent oil from the North Sea broke the $100 mark for the first time in seven and a half years on Thursday morning. On the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the German stock index Dax fell by 4.4 percent to 13,988 points at the opening and was heading for the biggest daily loss since the stock market crash in March 2020.
More: Read the current developments in the Ukraine crisis in the live blog here