Matty Burnhart, Knitted News24.02.22 08:08 23 Adar A. Tishpev
Illustration (Photo: Shatterstock)
In Ukraine it is reported that the local army shot down five Russian planes and one helicopter in the separatist province of Honsk in the east of the country.
The Ukrainian report comes despite the Russians claiming for their part that they have managed to neutralize the air defenses of the Ukrainian army. “The allegations that Ukraine shot down planes do not correspond with reality.”
Meanwhile, Reuters is posting pictures of Ukrainian tank convoys advancing towards the city of Mariupol, one of the major cities in the Donetsk separatist province.
Russian invasion from three countries
As you may recall, tonight began Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, which many feared for months.
Ukrainians say the Russians have invaded the country from the Russian-Belarusian border and from the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed to Russia in 2014. The Pentagon also estimates that the Russian army entered Belarus, when CNN published images of convoys of military vehicles coming from the country.
Missiles and mortars at Ukrainian cities
Russia has reportedly fired missiles at several cities. Echoes of explosions were heard in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine and Kharkov. The capital’s airport is evacuated from people and staff. Russia has announced that it has launched a joint offensive and that Russian forces have been launched from the sea in Odessa and Mariupol in southern Ukraine.
In the last hour, mortars were fired at the Ukrainian city of Lviv. And further explosions were reported in the city of Mariupol.
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry reports that one person was killed and another was injured in the Kiev region following the Russian bombings and that near Odessa seven people were killed and seven others were injured.
Meanwhile, convoys of Ukrainians were seen leaving the capital Kiev in their car in an attempt to escape the fighting.
Western countries promise to side with Ukraine
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Zalansky and promised him harsh sanctions on Russia, and that he would unite the world in response to Russian aggression when he met with G7 leaders and later at the UN Security Council.
The UN, the European Union and Britain also condemned the war and blamed Russia for the situation.
The EU has announced that it will hold an urgent meeting to discuss further sanctions against Russia.
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