Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides in an attack that could rewrite the global post-Cold War security order. Ukraine91裸聊视频檚 government pleaded for help as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee.
Scores of Ukrainians, civilians and service members alike, were killed in the first full day of fighting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ignored as he unleashed the largest ground war in Europe since World War II and chillingly referred to his country91裸聊视频檚 nuclear arsenal. He threatened any country trying to interfere with 91裸聊视频渃onsequences you have never seen,91裸聊视频� as a once-hoped for diplomatic resolution now appeared impossible.
Ukrainian forces braced for more attacks after enduring a Russian barrage of land- and sea-based missiles, an attack that one senior U.S. defense official described as the first salvo in a likely multi-phase invasion aimed at seizing key population centers, 91裸聊视频渄ecapitating91裸聊视频� Ukraine91裸聊视频檚 government and installing a new one. Already, Ukraine officials said they , scene of the world91裸聊视频檚 worst nuclear disaster.
91裸聊视频淩ussia has embarked on a path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself and won91裸聊视频檛 give up its freedom,91裸聊视频� Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted. His grasp on power increasingly tenuous, he pleaded Thursday for even more severe sanctions than the ones imposed by Western allies and ordered a full military mobilization that would last 90 days.
Zelenskyy said in a video address that 137 91裸聊视频渉eroes,91裸聊视频� including 10 military officers, had been killed and 316 people wounded. The dead included all border guards on the Zmiinyi Island in the Odesa region, which was taken over by Russians.
He concluded an emotional speech by saying that 91裸聊视频渢he fate of the country depends fully on our army, security forces, all of our defenders.91裸聊视频� He also said the country had heard from Moscow that 91裸聊视频漷hey want to talk about Ukraine91裸聊视频檚 neutral status.91裸聊视频�
U.S. President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against Russia, saying Putin 91裸聊视频渃hose this war91裸聊视频� and that his country would bear the consequences. Other nations also announced sanctions, or said they would shortly.
Fearing a Russian attack on the capital city, thousands of people went deep underground as night fell, jamming Kyiv91裸聊视频檚 subway stations.
At times it felt almost cheerful. Families ate dinner. Children played. Adults chatted. People brought sleeping bags or dogs or crossword puzzles 91裸聊视频� anything to alleviate the waiting and the long night ahead.
But the exhaustion was clear on many faces. And the worries.
91裸聊视频淣obody believed that this war would start and that they would take Kyiv directly,91裸聊视频� said Anton Mironov, waiting out the night in one of the old Soviet metro stations. 91裸聊视频淚 feel mostly fatigue. None of it feels real.91裸聊视频�
The invasion began early Thursday with a series of missile strikes, many on key government and military installations, quickly followed by a three-pronged ground assault. Ukrainian and U.S. officials said Russian forces were attacking from the east toward Kharkiv, Ukraine91裸聊视频檚 second-largest city; from the southern region of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014; and from Belarus to the north.
Zelenskyy, who had earlier cut diplomatic ties with Moscow and declared martial law, appealed to global leaders, saying that 91裸聊视频渋f you don91裸聊视频檛 help us now, if you fail to offer a powerful assistance to Ukraine, tomorrow the war will knock on your door.91裸聊视频�
Though Biden said he had no plans to speak with Putin, the Russian leader did have what the Kremlin described as a 91裸聊视频渟erious and frank exchange91裸聊视频� with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Both sides claimed to have destroyed some of the other91裸聊视频檚 aircraft and military hardware, though little of that could be confirmed.
Hours after the invasion began, Russian forces seized control of the now-unused Chernobyl plant and its surrounding exclusion zone after a fierce battle, presidential adviser Myhailo Podolyak told The Associated Press.
The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said it was told by Ukraine of the takeover, adding that there had been
The 1986 disaster occurred when a nuclear reactor at the plant 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Kyiv exploded, sending a radioactive cloud across Europe. The damaged reactor was later covered by a protective shell to prevent leaks.
Alyona Shevtsova, adviser to the commander of Ukraine91裸聊视频檚 ground forces, wrote on Facebook that staff members at the Chernobyl plant had been 91裸聊视频渢aken hostage.91裸聊视频� The White House said it was 91裸聊视频渙utraged91裸聊视频� by reports of the hostage-taking.
The chief of the NATO alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, said the 91裸聊视频渂rutal act of war91裸聊视频� shattered peace in Europe, joining a chorus of world leaders decrying an attack that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine91裸聊视频檚 democratically elected government. The conflict shook global financial markets: Stocks plunged and oil prices soared amid concerns that heating bills and food prices would skyrocket.
Condemnation came not only from the U.S. and Europe, but from South Korea, Australia and beyond 91裸聊视频� and many governments readied new sanctions. Even friendly leaders like Hungary91裸聊视频檚 Viktor Orban sought to distance themselves from Putin.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he aimed to cut off Russia from the U.K.91裸聊视频檚 financial markets as he announced sanctions, freezing the assets of all large Russian banks and planning to bar Russian companies and the Kremlin from raising money on British markets.
91裸聊视频淣ow we see him for what he is 91裸聊视频� a bloodstained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest,91裸聊视频� Johnson said of Putin.
The U.S. sanctions will target Russian banks, oligarchs, state-controlled companies and high-tech sectors, Biden said, but they were designed not to disrupt global energy markets. Russian oil and natural gas exports are vital energy sources for Europe.
Zelenskyy urged the U.S. and West to go further and cut the Russians from the SWIFT system, a key financial network that connects thousands of banks around the world. The White House has been reluctant to immediately cut Russia from SWIFT, worried it could cause enormous economic problems in Europe and elsewhere in the West.
While some nervous Europeans speculated about a possible new world war, the U.S. and its NATO partners have shown no indication they would send troops into Ukraine, fearing a larger conflict. NATO reinforced its members in Eastern Europe as a precaution, and Biden said the U.S. was deploying additional forces to Germany to bolster NATO.
European authorities declared the country91裸聊视频檚 airspace an active conflict zone.
After weeks of denying plans to invade, Putin launched the operation on a country the size of Texas that has increasingly tilted toward the democratic West and away from Moscow91裸聊视频檚 sway. The autocratic leader made clear earlier this week that he sees no reason for Ukraine to exist, raising fears of possible broader conflict in the vast space that the Soviet Union once ruled. Putin denied plans to occupy Ukraine, but his ultimate goals remain hazy.
Ukrainians were urged to shelter in place and not to panic.
91裸聊视频淯ntil the very last moment, I didn91裸聊视频檛 believe it would happen. I just pushed away these thoughts,91裸聊视频� said a terrified Anna Dovnya in Kyiv, watching soldiers and police remove shrapnel from an exploded shell. 91裸聊视频淲e have lost all faith.91裸聊视频�
With social media amplifying a torrent of military claims and counter-claims, it was difficult to determine exactly what was happening on the ground.
Russia and Ukraine made competing claims about damage they had inflicted. Russia91裸聊视频檚 Defense Ministry said it had destroyed scores of Ukrainian air bases, military facilities and drones. It confirmed the loss of one of its Su-25 attack jets, blaming 91裸聊视频減ilot error,91裸聊视频� and said an An-26 transport plane had crashed because of technical failure, killing the entire crew. It did not say how many were aboard.
Russia said it was not targeting cities, but journalists saw destruction in many civilian areas.
Poland91裸聊视频檚 military increased its readiness level, and and Moldova moved toward doing the same.
, asserting the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine 91裸聊视频� a false claim the U.S. predicted he would make as a pretext for invasion. He accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia91裸聊视频檚 demands to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and for security guarantees, saying the military action was a 91裸聊视频渇orced measure.91裸聊视频�
Anticipating international condemnation and countermeasures, Putin issued a stark warning to other countries not to meddle.
In a reminder of Russia91裸聊视频檚 nuclear power, he warned that 91裸聊视频渘o one should have any doubts that a direct attack on our country will lead to the destruction and horrible consequences for any potential aggressor.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频擸uras Karmanau, Jim Heintz, Vladimir Isachenkov And Dasha Litvinova, The Associated Press
