Russian forces have launched a military assault on neighbouring Ukraine, crossing its borders and bombing military targets near the big cities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a pre-dawn TV statement said Russia did not plan to occupy Ukraine and demanded that its military lay down their arms. however moments later, attacks were reported on Ukrainian military targets.
according to Ukraine, "Putin has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine".
Russia's military breached the border in a number of places, in the north, south and east, including from Belarus, a long-time Russian ally. There are reports of fighting in some parts of eastern Ukraine.
According to Aljazeera about 10 civilians are believed to have been killed, including six in an air strike in Brovary near the capital Kyiv. "A man was also killed in shelling outside the major eastern city of Kharkiv." the report added.
A Ukrainian presidential adviser said that more than 40 soldiers had died and dozens more were wounded. Ukraine said it had killed 50 Russian troops and shot down six Russian aircraft, but this has not been verified..
this Russian attack on Ukraine came after weeks of intense diplomacy and the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia failed to deter Putin, who had massed between 150,000 and 200,000 troops along the borders of Ukraine.
Russia has demanded an end to NATO’s eastward expansion and said Ukrainian membership of the US-led Atlantic military alliance was unacceptable.
Shelling had intensified since Monday when Putin recognised two separatist regions as independent and ordered the deployment of what he called peacekeepers, a move the West called the start of an invasion.
In response, Western countries and Japan have imposed sanctions on Russian banks and individuals.
On Wednesday, the separatists issued a plea to Moscow for help to stop alleged Ukrainian aggression what the United States dismissed as Russian propaganda.
As it appeared Russia was preparing to attack, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an emotional address to the nation, saying the war would be “a big disaster”.
“If they try to take our country away from us, our freedom, our lives, the lives of our children, we will defend ourselves,” he said
On Thursday morning, Putin said he had authorised military action to defend itself against what he said were threats emanating from Ukraine.
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