Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine in an early morning address to the nation on Thursday saying Russia could not exist with a “constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine”.
Describing it to be a special military operation, Putin insisted that Russia wants to “demilitarize”, not occupy, the country. He told Ukrainian soldiers to immediately surrender and lay down their arms.
Arguing that Russian security interests are non-negotiable, Putin gave a chilling warning to NATO and Western nations, saying those who interfere “will face consequences greater than any of you have faced in history”.
Within minutes of Putin’s public address, the Russian military began bombing Ukrainian cities. Huge explosions rocked several Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv soon after Putin authorized the Russian forces to launch massive strikes on Ukrainian defenses.
According to unconfirmed reports Russian forces have already taken control of Boryspil Airport in Kyiv after destroying and rendering unusable the Ukrainian navy.
Russian cruise and ballistic missiles have begun destroying key military infrastructure and strategically important facilities of Ukraine, according to unofficial Russian sources, reports Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, in an emotional address, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to “fight back” the Russian invasion.
He had already declared a state of emergency and martial law in Ukraine authorizing reservists and citizens to bear arms and defend themselves.
Ukraine’s Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said that his country will defend itself and win from Putin’s “war of aggression”.
American and European leaders condemned the Russian aggression calling it to be an “unprovoked and unjustified attack” on a sovereign country.
In a statement, US President Joe Biden said, “President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering”.