THE LATEST ON THE INVASION
FULL-SCALE WAR In the early hours of Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave orders to launch an invasion of Ukraine, arguing the “special military operation” was “inevitable” and “only a question of time.” The move hijacked a meeting of the UN Security Council. Shortly after, missile strikes, bombings and tank movements were registered in the eastern parts of the country. Explosions were later detected outside cities like Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chuguev, Mariupol and Odessa. Putin warned that if other countries interfere with Russia’s operation, they will be met with “consequences that you have never experienced in your history.”
CALL TO ARMS In response to the invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law, cut diplomatic ties with Russia and vowed his country will not “give up” its freedom. He then took to Twitter to issue a call to arms: “We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country,” he wrote. “Be ready to support Ukraine in the squares of our cities.” Zelensky also said Russian forces were trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant.
DEATH TOLL The invasion marks the largest military deployment, with ground, air and naval forces, since the end of World War II. Analysts warn the attack could spiral out of control and turn extremely bloody. At the time of writing, Ukrainian authorities had reported 40 dead soldiers and 10 soldiers in the country. Follow our live blog for the latest developments.
KYIV DISPATCH Our correspondent Sasha Vakulina is reporting live from Kyiv, bringing us closer to the frantic situation on the ground. “No matter how resilient and how strong people try to be, this is the moment when of course they do start to panic,” she told us. “For many, the closest shelter will be the metro station, and I went to the metro station myself and I saw people there and, I have to say, it does look surreal, seeing people there packed with their suitcases, glued to their phones, trying to call their families.” Watch her report.
HITTING HARD EU leaders flew to Brussels for an in-person emergency summit. On the table: a new, radical package of sanctions to punish Russia for violating Ukraine’s sovereignty. On Thursday morning, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the “massive” sanctions would block Moscow’s access to “key technologies” and cripple its ability to finance the invasion. “We will weaken Russia’s economic base and its capacity to modernise,” said von der Leyen. “We condemn this barbaric attack, and the cynical arguments used to justify it.”
INNER CIRCLE The second raft of sanctions comes on the heels of a package approved earlier this week that slapped travel bans and froze the assets of 27 individuals and entities close to President Putin, including his defence minister and his chief of staff, as well as several commanders and “propagandists.” The penalties were also extended to the 351 members of the State Duma who voted to recognise the self-proclaimed people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent.
MORE REACTIONS Speaking next to von der Leyen, Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said the EU would support evacuation operations from Ukraine and provide more financial assistance to the country. Ylva Johansson, EU Commissioner for home affairs, had previously told us the EU was ready and “well prepared” to welcome a potential influx of Ukrainian refugees.
The European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and all the political groups condemned the invasion as “unjustified and illegal,” calling it an attack on the international model of democracy. In a joint statement, the 27 members of the European Council demanded an immediate ceasefire and an unconditional withdrawal of all forces. “We deplore the loss of life and humanitarian suffering,” they wrote.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the attack was a “brutal act of war,” describing it as “deliberate, cold-blooded and long-planned.” Stoltenberg confirmed NATO does not have any troops inside Ukraine and has no plans to send any. But, he noted, the Alliance will increase its presence on the eastern front. “It will be a new reality, a new Europe, after the invasion,” he said. “Russia has shut the door to a diplomatic solution.”
GO DEEPER Follow our live blog and get the latest developments. |