Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “military operation” in Ukraine today on Ukraine military to “lay down its arms”, in what could be the beginning of an all-out invasion of Ukraine.
As powerful explosions were heard across Kyiv and Eastern Ukraine, the country’s foreign minister declared that Putin had launched an “all-out invasion”, calling it a “war of aggression”. He asserted that the country will defend itself from Putin and Ukraine will defend itself and will win.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russia had carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and the country’s border guards, and that explosions had been heard in many cities. He said that martial law had been declared across the country and that he had spoken by phone to US President Joe Biden. In a separate statement, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said the purpose of Russia’s military operation was to destroy the Ukrainian state.
In a televised address, Putin accused the US and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demand to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and offer Moscow security guarantees. He said Russia’s goal was not to occupy Ukraine. Joe Biden denounced the “unprovoked and unjustified” attack on Ukraine and said the world will “hold Russia accountable.”
Citing a “potential hazard to civil aviation”, Ukraine issued a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) around 7.30 am IST restricting all civilian flights to the region. An Air India flight, meant to evacuate Indian citizens from Kyiv, however, left from Delhi a few minutes after the NOTAM was issued.
The NOTAM — a notice to pilots, ATC personnel and airline operations teams about the condition of particular airspace — was issued on account of the rising tensions given the buildup of Russian forces near the Ukrainian border.
Ukraine’s president declares martial law, urges citizens to not panic as Russia launches military strikes, reports news agency Associated Press. Declaring martial law usually involves a suspension of normal civil rights and imposition of military control over the country’s functioning.
Meanwhile, Putin has warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen.” As Putin spoke, big explosions were heard in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other areas of Ukraine. Later, air sirens went off in Kyiv, indicating that the city is under attack.
Putin’s move comes close on the heels of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement that Russia will invade Ukraine within hours. Russia had earlier said that separatists had asked Kremlin for help to repel Ukranian “aggression”, and as explosions rocked the breakaway eastern city of Donetsk.
For days now, the Russia-Ukraine borders have seen large deployments of Russian military columns. Tensions had climbed after Putin recognized two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent and ordered the deployment of what he called peacekeepers.
A full-blown Russian invasion could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. And the consequences of the conflict and resulting sanctions levied on Russia could reverberate throughout the world, affecting energy supplies in Europe, jolting global financial markets and threatening the post-Cold War balance on the continent.
The United Nations Security Council quickly scheduled an emergency meeting Wednesday night at Ukraine’s request. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the separatists’ request “a further escalation of the security situation.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed to Putin to take back his troops to Russia. Diplomats from dozens of countries took the floor at the United Nations on Wednesday to deplore Russia’s actions toward Ukraine and make eleventh hour pleas for diplomacy as fears of a new war in Europe grew.
But even China, which usually takes Moscow’s side at the UN, spoke up for the world body’s longstanding principle of respecting countries’ sovereignty and internationally recognised borders.
