War in Europe: Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine this morning (Thursday) as part of a “special military operation” in the Donabas region of eastern Ukraine and launched a general attack on Ukraine from three fronts – the border with Russia, Belarus and the Crimean peninsula.
Putin claimed this morning that he did not plan to occupy Ukraine, but to “overthrow” it. In addition, the president warned that any attempt to intervene in Russian action on the part of the countries of the world would lead to “unseen consequences”. Maariv Online with all the updates from the boiling front in Eastern Europe.
ongoing updates:
07:59: The Ukrainian military has updated that He shot down five Russian planes and one helicopter in the Lugansk region.
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07:55: Belgium condemned Russian invasion: “Europe’s most difficult time since World War II.”
07:53: Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will hold a situation assessment today at 10:00 at the Foreign Ministry’s situation center. The Foreign Ministry is in contact with the staff of the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine, located in the western city of Lvov.
07:48: The Ukrainian military reported that The air defense shot down a Russian plane in the east of the country.
07:46: A fire broke out in eastern Kiev following a missile strike during Russian shelling of Ukrainian military units.
07:42: The Ukrainian military has updated that Russian forces are now attacking from the border with Russia, Belarus and the Crimean peninsula.
07:39: Russia has canceled all domestic flights to and from a number of airports near the border with Ukraine until March 2, including Rostov, Krasnodar, Anapa, Glendzyk, Belgorod, Voronezh and Stavropol.
7:35: The Ukrainian military has updated that The Ukrainian Air Force repulsed a Russian air strike. He also denied the report of the landing of Russian troops in Odessa.
07:29: According to reports, Belarusian soldiers cross the border with Russian military forces.
07:25: NATO ambassadors will hold an emergency meeting later in the day following the Russian attack on Ukraine.
07:10: Alarms sounded in Kiev, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zlansky calls on residents to stay in their homes.
6:30: The Ukrainian news agency “Interfax Ukraine” that soldiers from the Russian army landed in the port cities of Mariupol and Odessa. At the same time, a source in the Ukrainian Interior Ministry noted that missiles were fired at the military command centers in Kharkov and Kiev.
The streets of Kiev emptied (Photo: REUTERS / Umit Bektas)5:55: US President Joe Biden has said his country and its allies will respond to the move “uniformly and decisively”. He said, “Russia has chosen a catastrophic loss of human life and suffering, and has blamed it for the ‘death and destruction’ that will follow.
5:10: Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a special military operation in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
Event chases event
Yesterday there was another cyber attack on Ukraine. This is an attack aimed at disabling service-providing sites. On the list of those attacked: the Foreign, Defense and Interior Ministries of Ukraine, the Security Service and sites of ministers. The FBI has warned that such attacks are likely in the United States.
A source in the US Department of Defense said that according to estimates, Putin is ready for a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. 80% of his army forces on the Ukrainian border have been transferred to attack positions at a distance of 5-50 km from the border. In the Black Sea a fleet of ten ships is ready for this purpose. A source in the French presidency also estimated that a broad Russian attack is quite possible.
Ukrainian residents after Putin’s announcement (Photo: REUTERS / Carlos Barria)The Ukrainian army reported yesterday that one soldier was killed and six wounded as a result of shelling by pro-Russian rebels in the past day. The Ukrainian military adds that more than 100 cases of insurgent shelling have been recorded in the past day. Residential buildings were damaged and residents began packing and leaving. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said that 170 Russian army armored units had so far entered the territories of the separatist republics and were parked 32 km from the Ukrainian border. In Belgorod, a few kilometers from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, another field hospital was built.
President Volodymyr Zalansky ordered the partial recruitment of reservists from the age of 18 to 60. Ukraine has declared a state of emergency, at this stage for 30 days, which includes restrictions on the freedom of movement of conscripted reservists, censorship of information dissemination in the media and personal document checks. The Ukrainian parliament has voted in favor of the right of self-defense of the country’s citizens so that they can carry weapons, and many have indeed been equipped.
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At a press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who came to express his support, Zalansky said he could not anticipate the next steps of pro-Russian separatists and that Russia should provide his country with security guarantees. Ukraine’s next steps will be determined in accordance with Russia’s next actions. President Putin, for his part, said Moscow was always ready for a sincere dialogue and was willing to consider “diplomatic solutions,” but added: “Russia’s interests and the security of our citizens are not up for negotiation.”
The planned meetings of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with his colleagues, the American Anthony Blinken in Geneva and the French La Darian in Paris – have been canceled. The only diplomatic offer came yesterday from Turkish President Erdogan, who offered Putin a tripartite summit in Turkey with Zalansky. Turkey, a member of NATO, has opposed Putin’s recognition of the independence of the separatist republics, and will continue to supply UAVs to the Ukrainian army. The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement saying that Russia will “react sharply” to the new US sanctions. “The sanctions imposed on Russia are against American interests themselves,” warns Moscow.
The Ukrainian foreign minister, who is visiting the United States and appeared at the UN General Assembly, said his country had no intention of evacuating the main cities in eastern Ukraine. “If diplomacy fails, the plan is to fight for every inch of our land, every city and every village,” he said. “Fight until we win. Russian attack means violating all international agreements. We will exercise our right to defend ourselves.”