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Highlights
- Members of the UN Security Council convene in an extraordinary session amid rising tension.
- Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, has urged Putin to "halt forces from attacking Ukraine."
Russia will begin military operations in Eastern Ukraine, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin, in what appears to be the final build-up to an attack that the US and its European allies have been trying to avoid for weeks through diplomatic talks.
He made a surprise speech on television shortly before 6 am (03:00 GMT), saying, "I have made the decision of a military action".
"Everything is evident; the US does not desire to deal with Russia... so what do we do next?" Putin said.
Putin stated that the measure was taken in reaction to threats from Ukraine. He went on saying that Russia has no intention of occupying Ukraine. Putin claimed that the Ukrainian "government" is to blame for the bloodshed.
Any attempt by other countries to meddle with Russia's actions would result in "consequences they have never seen," Putin also warned.
Also Read: Russia declares war on Ukraine: How Biden & other world leaders are reacting
UN Secretary-General urges Russia to end military activities in Ukraine
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Russia to stop its aggression in Ukraine. "In the sake of humanity, President Putin, return your troops to Russia," the secretary-general stated.
"In the sake of humanity, do not allow what may be the worst war since the turn of the century to commence in Europe," he implored, adding that the fight "must end immediately."
Source: © Aquir | Megapixl.com
Russia launches full-scale invasion of Ukraine
As per Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba's tweet, Russia has initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is targeting cities with weapons strikes.
As per the report in Interfax Ukraine, Russian forces have landed in the southern port cities of Odessa and Mariupol after rocket assaults on military facilities across Ukraine. Staff and passengers were also reported to be abandoning Kyiv's Boryspil airport.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin has started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes," Kuleba added.
Also read: What sanctions has Canada imposed on Russia over Ukraine crisis?
Explosions in Kyiv
Explosions have rocked kyiv. "Loud explosions" heard in Ukraine's capital, according to Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons.
He said, “it sounds like shell fire,” however it might also be air attacks.
"The international airport of Boryspil was attacked... "We don't know if it was shelled or if it's an explosion," he continued.
Also Read: Russia Ukraine Crisis || Can Australian LNG Replace Russian Gas?
Ukraine declares a state of emergency
In reaction to the possibility of a Russian invasion, Ukraine's parliament has approved a national state of emergency.
The measure was overwhelmingly adopted on the same day when Moscow began to withdraw its embassy officials in Kyiv, and Washington increased its warnings about the possibility of an all-out Russian attack.
Also Read: Deciphering the impact of Russia-Ukraine crisis on Australian economy
