Ukraine’s foreign minister tweets Putin has launched “full scale invasion of Ukraine”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted early on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine."
"Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes. This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now," he tweeted.
Ukrainian ambassador to the UN urges Security Council to "stop the war"
The Ukrainian ambassador to the United Nations urged other member nations to "stop the war," at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
"It is the responsibility of thisbody to stop the war.So I call on every one of you todo everything possible to stopthe war," Sergiy Kyslytsya said to the council, before turning to face the Russian ambassador to the UN and asking: "Or should I play the video withyour president declaring thewar?"
The Russian ambassador responded, "This isn't called a war,this is called a specialmilitary operation in Donbas."
Early Thursday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a televised address that troops were taking military action in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
CNN reporters and witnesses in cities across Ukraine have reported hearing explosions in the early hours of Thursday.
US ambassador to UN says Putin's military operation is a "message of war"
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler and David Shortell
The US Ambassador to the United Nations said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “delivered a message of war” by announcing his military operation in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
"In my remarks tonight, I said that we predicted Russia’s false flag attacks. The misinformation, the theatrical emergency meetings and cyber-attacks. But one piece had not come to pass. Unfortunately while we’ve been meeting in the Security Council tonight, it appears that President Putin has ordered that last step," said UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
"At the exact time as we are gathered in the council seeking peace, Putin delivered a message of war in total disdain for the responsibility for this council. This is a grave emergency. The council will need to act and we will put a resolution on the table tomorrow. As President Biden said tonight, Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring and the United States and our allies and partners will decide in a united and decisive way."
Biden will deliver remarks tomorrow on Russia's military action
From CNN's DJ Judd
US President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on Thursday afternoon on Russia's decision to take military action in Ukraine, according to a White House official.
Biden will announce "further consequences the United States and our Allies and partners will impose on Russia for its unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine," said the official.
Shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the military operation early Thursday morning, Biden released a statement decrying Putin's choice as bringing "a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering."
Ukraine's interior minister adviser: "Invasion has begun"
From Katya Krebbs in in Kyiv
An adviser for the Interior Minister of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko, said early on Thursday morning that Russia’s “invasion has begun,” with “missile strikes on Kyiv.”
Gerashchenko added on hisFacebook pagethat control centers such as airfields and military headquarters are being hit by theshelling in Kyiv and Kharkiv, and that there is artillery fire along the border.
Russian ambassador to UN defends military operation in emergency Security Council meeting
The Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Alekseevich Nebenzya, defended Russia's decision to take military action in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
"The root of today's crisis around Ukraine is the actions of Ukraine itself, who for many years were sabotaging its obligations under the (Minsk agreement)," said Nebenzya. He claimed that the Russian operation aimed to protect residents in the separatist pro-Moscow regions of eastern Ukraine, "who for eight years have been cowering from Ukraine's shelling."
He claimed that "Ukrainian provocation against those in Donbas not only has not stopped but has intensified," which prompted separatist leaders in the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk to request Russian assistance.
The US State Department has warned that Russia may use so-called false flags, including claims that Ukraine is attacking Donetsk, to justify an invasion.
European aviation authority sends Ukrainian airspace warning
From CNN's Pete Muntean
Europe's top air traffic authority is urgently telling airlines and other civilian flightsto stay away from Ukrainian airspace.
The head ofEuropean Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, better known as Eurocontrol, tweeted early Thursday, "Alloperators advised."
Eurocontrol Director General Eamonn Brennan said that a Russian notice to pilots published earlier was "likely due to military activity."
Earlier today, Ukrainian authorities issued a notice restricting the country's airspace starting early Thursday morning and lasting until midnight GMT (7 p.m. ET).
UK Ambassador to UN: Russia has been holding gun to Ukraine's head. Now, "Putin's finger is on the trigger."
The British Ambassador to the United Natiions said Russia has been holding a gun to Ukraine’s head for months and asked Russia, again, to avoid war.
“For months, Russia has been holding a gun to Ukraine’s head. Now, President Putin’s finger is on the trigger,” United Kingdom Ambassador Barbara Woodward said Wednesday night during a special UN Security Council meeting.
“A full-scale conflict in a country of 44 million people will bring immense suffering, casualties on both sides and devastating humanitarian consequences,” she said.
“The world is calling for peace but Russia is not listening,” she added.
“We’re here for the second time this week in the council,” Woodward said. “My Prime Minister and foreign and defense secretaries have been unsparing in their diplomatic efforts. But we have also announced a significant further sanction step with our allies. A package targeted against some of the Russian oligarchs, banks and politicians supporting President Putin and we will ratchet up economic consequences should Russia continue its aggression.”
“There is still time for restraint, reason and de-escalation but that time is now.”
Putin calls for the "demilitarization" of Ukraine after announcing military action in Donbas
From CNN's Nathan Hodge in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin called for Ukraine's "demilitarization" in televised remarks, shortly after announcing a military operation in the region of Donbas in eastern Ukraine.
"Circ*mstances require us to take decisive and immediate action," Putin said, according to a RIA-Novosti transcript. "The People's Republics of Donbas turned to Russia with a request for help. In this regard, in accordance with Article 51, part 7 of the UN Charter, with the sanction of the Federation Council and in pursuance of the friendship treaties ratified by the Federal Assembly and mutual assistance with the DPR and LPR, I have decided to conduct a special military operation."
Putin's remarks came as concerns mounted of animminent full-scale Russian invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an emotional speech early Thursday that the Russian leadership had approved military action in Ukraine and vowed the country would defend itself.
