Vladimir Putin keeps moving his pieces in a very dangerous chess game that is putting Ukrainian lives in mortal danger. During a what seems like a previously recorded speech on Russian state television, the president of Russia announced his country is set to undertake a special military operation to demilitarize the area. He also stated that the Ukrainian government has been supporting nazis and he has a clear objective of eliminating all nazi sympathizers. Although Putin did say that Russia doesn’t plan to occupy the country of Ukraine, he did call on all soldiers to lay down their weapons and head home if they don’t want to suffer the consequences. Putin also sent a stern warning to all outside countries to not interfere in his decision or this could escalate to an even greater conflict.
Just hours before this speech, Vladimir Putin also issued a series of NOTAMs, or Notice to Air Missions in northeastern Ukraine as a warning to civilian aircraft in the area. These warnings extend through Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro and Odesa. Russia’s plan is to warn all the civilian population against potential lethal harm to all of them. Any flight that gets into this air space will do so at their own risk as Russia is now under total control of it. After this announcement, mayhem in central Kyiv just started. It was only a matter of time before Russia started taking military action and that’s exactly what happened. Follow the live updates here.
03:00 PT/11:00 GMT: Martial Law in Ukraine
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has declared a state of martial law in his country in response to attacks from Russia on the Donbas region and other cities across Ukraine.
02:45 PT/10:45 GMT: Boris Johnson on the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Boris Johnson, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, has further condemned Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday.
“This is a catastrophe for our continent,” he tweeted.
“I will make an address to the nation this morning on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I will also speak to fellow G7 leaders and I am calling for an urgent meeting of all NATO leaders as soon as possible.”
02:30 PT/10:30 GMT: Death figure up to at least 40
At least 40 people have been killed in the first hours of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, an adviser to president Volodymyr Zelensky said at midday (Ukraine time) on Thursday.
02:15 PT/10:15 GMT: Where is Donbas in Ukraine?
Donbas is a region in the south-east of Ukraine that is becoming the epicentre of a potential conflict between Russia and Ukrainian pro-Russia separatists, and the Ukrainian army.
02:00 PT/10:00 GMT: Ukraine severs diplomatic ties with Russia
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that the country have officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia following its invasion of Ukrainian territory, he said at a press briefing.
01:45 PT/09:45 GMT: Air raid sirens in Kyiv
There have been air raid sirens heard in the last few hours in the area of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, ahead of a possible military attack by Russia.
The sound of air raid sirens in Kyiv as residents try to flee the area
01:30 PT/09:30 GMT: Russian currency drops to all-time low
The Russian central bank will step into the market to support the rouble, it announced on Thursday, as the currency fell to an all-time low, according to Reuters.
01:15 PT/09:15 GMT: China refuses to criticise Russia over invasion
China has called for talks to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, yet they are refusing to criticise Russia‘s attack. In addition, China has accused the United States of America and its allies of making the situation worse.
01:00 PT/09:00 GMT: Emergency meeting among EU ambassadors
A meeting has started in the last 30 minutes among EU ambassadors, as they prepare ahead of tonight’s European Council meeting.
0:45 PT/08:45 GMT: EU to hold Moscow accountable for attack
The European Union will hold Moscow accountable for the “unjustified” attack on Ukraine, the chief of the bloc’s Executive Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Thursday.
“In these dark hours, our thoughts are with Ukraine and the innocent women, men and children as they face this unprovoked attack and fear for their lives,” she said on Twitter.
“We will hold the Kremlin accountable,” von der Leyen added.
0:30 PT/08:30 GMT: At least eight deaths
At least eight people have been killed and nine wounded by Russian shelling in eastern Ukraine, with three border guards are among the casualties, the Ukrainian Border Force said.
0:20 PT/08:20 GMT: UK plans ‘unprecedented’ sanctions against Russia
United Kingdom prime minister Boris Johnson is chairing a COBRA meeting which is already underway, with Foreign Office minister James Cleverly promising an “unprecedented” fresh set of sanctions to punish Russia for the “appalling decision” to invade Ukraine.
0:10 PT/08:10 GMT: France condemns Russia
French president Emmanuel Macron has criticised Russia‘s decision to go to war against Ukraine.
“France strongly condemns Russia’s decision to wage war on Ukraine. Russia must end its military operations immediately. France stands in solidarity with Ukraine. It stands with the Ukrainians and works with its partners and allies to end the war,” said Macron.
0:00 PT/08:00 GMT: Russia moving military equipment into Ukraine
Ukraine has accused Russia of moving military equipment into the country from annexed Crimea, according to Reuters.
22:38 PT – Russia denies they attacked civilian areas in Ukraine.
Contrary to what Ukraine is reporting, the Russian Government’s official channels are denying they attacked any civilian areas. They stated that only military bases were attacked and are currently being attacked.
22:57 PT – US Citizens won’t be evacuated by the Government.
In a statement directed at all citizens from the US, the United States confirmed they will not move to evacuate any stranded people during this time of invasion on Ukraine by Russia. Urging them to seek shelter and protect themselves.
22:48 PT – Moscow’s makets suspend all trading effective immediately.
Russian trading markets crash as Moscow suspends all trading nation-wide, they didn’t inform when trading could resume.
22:31 PT – Zelensky announces anti-Putin coalition.
In a recent tweet, Ukraine president Zelensky announced he is joining forces with the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the rest of NATO to for the anti-Putin coalition. It’s the entire world against Russia and Belarus at this point.
22:21 PT – Shots fired in Mlgorod City as well.
Poltava region is also under siege as Russia continues the attack on many cities across Ukraine.
22:10 PT – Ukraine Military confirms take down of Russian aircrafts.
In a report from the Ukraine Military apparatus, 5 Russian planes and 1 Russian helicopter have been taken down in the Luhansk region.
22:00 PT – City of Lviv is also attacked by Russia.
Reports are comign from the city of Lviv of full scale attacks on the Western city of Ukraine, which is close to NATO country Poland. President Putin stated he wouldnt’ attack further than the areas of Luhansk, Donbas and Donetsk.
21:48 – Belarus is a Russian ally in this attack.
As a shock to few, Belarus is supporting Russia in their attack on Ukraine. The Border Guard Service of Ukraine confirmed troops from both countries attacking them. They are baing attacked by two countries.
21:37 – Ukraine posts official satirical cartoon of Putin.
In a bold move frmo the official Ukriane Twitter account, they posted a satirical cartoon of Adolf Hitler alongside Vladimir Putin.
21:32 PT – Preident Biden offers details of call with President Zelensky.
President Joe Biden just offered an update on the call he had with Ukraine president Zelensky. Here are the details.
21:20 PT – United Nations demand Putin to withdraw his troops.
The United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered a statement in which he demanded President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his troops and stop Russia’s attack.
21:10 PT – Mayor Vitali Klitschko calls for calm amid all the cahos in Kyiv.
Former boxer and Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko just made a public announcement calling for all citizens of Ukraine to maintain calm.
21:06 PT – Air raids are sounded in Ukraine’s capital.
After an hour an a half is passed, the mandatory sirens are sounded in Kyiv that prevent possible military air strikes. All residents of Kyiv are moving as fast as they can to the safer areas of the country, to the West.
20:56 PT – President Zelensky declares Nation-Wide Nartial Law.
As the morning hits Ukraine at 5:56 a.m., President Zelensky declared nation-wide Martial Law.
20:50 PT – Ukraine declares a full scale invasion frmo Russia.
As a response from Ukraine, they publicly declared a full scale invasion. This is contrary to what Vladimir Putin called ‘military action’.
20:38 PT – First reports of causalties in Ukraine are coming in.
According th CNN, the Ukraine Interior Ministry has told them that ‘hundreds of casualties’ havebeen reported after the initial attacks.
20:28 PT – Ukrainian Foreign Minister demands response from NATO.
As explosions are rocking Ukraine in the Donbass, Luhansk and Donetsk region, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba calls Putin’s attack a ‘full scale invasion’. He also asks for help to NATO and the rest of the world.
20:24 PT – Vladimir Putin’s threat to the rest of the world.
In the same speech where Vladimir Putin announced his military operation on the Donbas region, he also sent a chilling threat to NATO and the United States: “A couple of words for those would be tempted to intervene: Russia will respond immediately and you will have consequences that you never have had before in history.”
20:13 PT – Cryptocurrencies suffer dramatic drop amid Russia’s attack.
As it was expected, Russia’s attack on Ukraine has directly affected all cryptocurrencies in the world. This includes Bitcoin, which just hit the lowest point of the entire month of February.
20:08 PT – Ukraine confirms cyberattacks on the country.
In another imporant attack, presumably from Russia, Ukraine confirmed several cyberattacks on almost all of the country’s banking websites. The country’s Center for Strategic Communications of the Ukraine confirmed it moments ago.
Donald Trump appears on Fox News to talk abour Russia’s attack.
Instead of trying to find a proactive explanation to what’s going on, former president Donald Trump appeared on Fox News to criticize the Biden Administration for what’s happening between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia also attacks Kharkiv.
After Kyiv, the Russian Government also dropped missiles in the city of Kharkiv about half an hour after the initial attack began.
A closer look at Russia’s missile attack in Kyiv.
Here’s a closer look at Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) going off between the borders of Russia and Ukraine. The sound is ominous.
Ukraine and NATO confirm Russia invasion.
After the explosions began, both Ukraine and NATO confirmed publicly that the Russian government started dropping missiles in central Kyiv. Ukraine’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken deemed this move from Russia “a clear attack on the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. The Luhansk and Donetsk areas are currently under siege from the Russian government.
Presiden Joe Biden’s response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
In a quick response to this attack on Ukraine, here is President Joe Biden’s full statement directly from the White House press core: “The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces. President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering. Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.”
“I will be monitoring the situation from the White House this evening and will continue to get regular updates from my national security team. Tomorrow, I will meet with my G7 counterparts in the morning and then speak to the American people to announce the further consequences the United States and our Allies and partners will impose on Russia for this needless act of aggression against Ukraine and global peace and security. We will also coordinate with our NATO Allies to ensure a strong, united response that deters any aggression against the Alliance. Tonight, Jill and I are praying for the brave and proud people of Ukraine.”
19:20 PT – Russia drops the first bombs in central Kyiv.
At around 19:20 Pacific Standard time, Vladimir Putin ordered the first major strikes that were heard all over the major city of Kyiv. This CNN reporter was close to the first bangs that were heard.
What does Russia want from Ukraine?
Putin has said that the expansion of NATO is “menacing”, so the fact that Ukraine could join the European Union and join NATO is a concern for the Russian president. In December of 2021, Russia demanded a guarantee that Ukraine would never join NATO and that NATO would order forces in other Eastern European countries to back down, but this hasn’t happened. Furthermore, the USA has sold hundreds of anti-tank Javelin missiles to Ukraine in recent years and Turkey has supplied the Ukrainian army with armed drones. (Read more)
What sanctions can the US impose on Russia?
The United States and its allies are coordinating new sanctions on Russia after Moscow’s movement recognizing two Ukrainian regions as independent.
European members, including Germany, began considering sanctions in response to Putin’s actions:
- Banks and Financial Firms
- Natural Gas
- Individuals
When did Ukraine separate from Russia?
Crimea was originally part of Russia from 1783 until 1954 when the Soviet government transferred the region to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
However no further information of the transfer was made available for the remainder of the Soviet Union, becoming available to the public in 1992 when the Union dissolved.
Since that time Crimea has become a disputed region in its own sense, peaking in interest between Ukraine and Russia in 2014 when Crimea declared itself independent before being annexed by Russia. (Read more)
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