This defies Western outrage and global appeals not to launch a war. Putin made a surprise statement on television to declare his intentions. In response, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has made an emotional appeal to Russians not to support a “major war in Europe”. Zelensky says he has tried to call Putin but there is no answer. This as Moscow has around 200 000 soldiers near Ukraine’s borders.
Gunfire has been heard near the main airport of Boryspil in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv soon after Russia announced a military operation in Ukraine. According to AFP, passengers and staff are being evacuated from Kyiv airport. There are also reports that Ukrainian military command centres in the cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv have been attacked by missile strikes. A CNN reporter has meanwhile tweeted that according to Ukrainian officials, Ukraine is in the midst of a full-blown nationwide attack, with military infrastructure coming under fire.
