Live: Updating.
Reuters: Russian forces launch invasion of Ukraine with strikes on defence
MOSCOW/KYIV, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.
Shortly after Putin spoke in a televised address on Russian state TV, explosions could be heard in the pre-dawn quiet of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Gunfire rattled near the capital's main airport, the Interfax news agency said, and sirens were heard over the city.
WSJ: The Latest News on the Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Live Updates
Russian troops and tanks pushed into Ukraine and airstrikes hit the country's capital and more than a dozen other cities early Thursday after President Vladimir Putin said he ordered a military operation to "demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine" and bring its leaders to trial.
Ukrainian officials said an initial wave of strikes targeted military installations, airfields and government facilities across the country. Ukraine's border service said its troops came under attack all along the country's frontiers with Russia and Belarus as well as Crimea. Heavy shelling targeted the city of Mariupol on the Azov sea. Air-raid sirens sounded in Kyiv after 7 a.m. and the city's airport came under attack. Ukraine's military said it shot down five Russian warplanes and one helicopter. Russia denied any of its aircraft were hit.
CBS: NATO officials say Russian attack on Ukraine has begun
Russia has begun attacking Ukraine, NATO officials confirmed. The late-night attack began moments after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had "decided to conduct a special military operation" to protect eastern Ukraine's Donbas region. CBS News correspondents reported hearing loud blasts in the capital city, Kyiv, and in the eastern city of Kharkiv.
A Ukrainian government spokesperson said early Thursday that "cruise and ballistic missile strikes are underway at the control centers" in Kyiv.
BBC: Ukraine conflict: Russian forces invade after Putin TV declaration
Russian forces have launched a military assault on neighbouring Ukraine, crossing its borders and bombing military targets near big cities.
In a pre-dawn TV statement Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia did not plan to occupy Ukraine and demanded that its military lay down their arms.
Moments later, attacks were reported on Ukrainian military targets.
Ukraine said that "Putin has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine".
Russian military vehicles were said to have breached the border in a number of places, in the north, south and east, including from Belarus.
(Score: 2) by legont on Friday February 25 2022, @12:20AM (3 children)
Putin also called the US an empire of lies and directly compared the US to Nazi Germany. Specifically he blamed Soviets for not attacking Hitler preemptively and primissed not to repeat the mistake.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 25 2022, @02:11AM
Ah it must be the super-extra-secret Molotov-Ribbentrop-Roosevelt pact that we never got told about. That explains everything ...
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Saturday February 26 2022, @01:07PM (1 child)
In comparison, the US was right on the nose about Russia's intent to invade the Ukraine. Funny how those completely unreliable Western sources got this one right.
If the Soviets had resisted Germany aggression from the start, there would have been no Second World War (at least not one started by the Germans, the Soviets are a different story). They probably could pick up East Prussia too. Just invade and keep East Prussia when Hitler started his campaign. That would nip it in the bud and end things there.
(Score: 2) by legont on Wednesday March 02 2022, @05:08AM
As per your last paragraph, that's exactly what Putin is doing now - resisting American aggression. That's not my opinion, but what he, basically, said.
He wants to prevent WWIII.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.