Invasion of Ukraine: The first dead – International outcry against Russia

Alarm has meant since the early hours of Thursday when Vladimir Putin announced in his sermon the invasion of Ukraine, or as he put it “the beginning of a military operation in Donbas”. Since then, in many cities of Ukraine loud explosions are heard and the air defense sirens, as Kiev assures that a Russian “large-scale invasion” is already underway.

At least eight people have been killed and nine have been injured by him bombing of forces of Russia in Ukrainesaid today an adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In his speech to the nation, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky informed how declares martial law throughout the territory. “Do not panic,” he urged his fellow citizens, promising “we will win.”

Shortly after the Kremlin occupant’s unexpected announcement, which stressed that the purpose is to defend areas in the hands of pro-Russian separatists, a series of explosions was heard in Kiev. Air defense sirens were also heard in the Ukrainian capital, as well as in Lviv, in western Ukraine, where the US and several other countries have moved their embassies.

In the Kiev metro there were dozens of residents who went there either to protect themselves or to board a trainwith suitcases and bags in hand, to leave the city.

Explosions They were also heard in Kramatorsk, in the eastern part of the country, where the general headquarters of the Ukrainian army is located, in Kharkiv, the second largest city in the country, and in Odessa, in the Black Sea.

The Russian military says it has destroyed Ukrainian air bases and air defense systems. For its part, Kiev said five Russian planes and a helicopter had been shot down.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba has denounced the start of a Russian “large-scale invasion.” The operation is aimed at “destroying the Ukrainian state, occupying the [ουκρανική] “territory by force and occupation,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Ukraine also announced the closure of its airspace for civil aviation, while flights to and from airports in major cities in southern Russia, near the border with Ukraine, were also canceled.

The Russian military has said it was hitting Ukrainian military installations with “high-precision weapons”, something the Ukrainian president seemed to acknowledge, saying Russia had fired on military infrastructure and the Ukrainian border guard.

Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, went so far as to say that his country was targeting “the ruling junta in Kiev.”

International outcry and a wave of condemnation

The decision of the Russian president, which was recorded after months of tensions and diplomatic efforts to avoid warcaused international outcry, wave of condemnation.

“President Putin, in the name of humanity, order your soldiers to return to Russia!” said, with an obvious emotional charge, o UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during an emergency Security Council meeting.

The American president Joe Biden denounced “her unprovoked and unjustified attackWhich will cause “catastrophic suffering and loss of human lives.” “People will demand that Russia give a speech,” Biden promised. He later spoke with the Ukrainian president, to whom he promised his support.

The Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg condemned Russia’s “unprovoked attack”. The ambassadors of the 30 NATO member states have been convened and are meeting in Brussels.

The German chancellor Olaf Solz, for his part, condemned the “blatant violation” of international lawwhile European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has vowed that Moscow will “be held accountable”. Vladimir Putin “chose the path of bloodshed and destruction”judged for his part by the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

After discussing with various foreign leaders this morning, Mr. Zelensky called for a global “Alliance against Putin” to “force” Russia to stop the war, for “peace”.

Announcing the start of the “special military operation” in the early hours of the morning, Putin said in a statement that “we are forced to demilitarize and demilitarize Ukraine.”

“It is not in our plans to occupy Ukrainian territory, we do not intend to impose anything by force on anyone,” he said, urging Ukrainian soldiers to “lay down their arms.”

He then addressed those who “try to intervene”, saying “they should know that Russia’s reaction will be immediate and will have consequences that they have never experienced.”

Oil is taking off

Hours earlier, the Kremlin had announced that officials from the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of eastern Ukraine had asked Moscow for “help” to “repel the attack” by the Ukrainian army.

On Monday, The Russian president recognized the independence of the two “People’s Republics” of Donbaswhile the next day secured the green light of the upper house for the deployment of troops.

Shortly after Mr Putin’s speech the price of a barrel of oil exceeded $ 100 for the first time in more than seven yearswhile Asian stock markets were falling.

The United States will submit a draft resolution condemning Russia for its “war” against Ukraine to the UN Security Council for discussion and vote today.

The 27 EU leaders, for their part, are meeting extraordinarily tonight.

Many fear that the crisis in Ukraine will cause the most serious armed conflict in Europe since 1945.. The Russian intervention could force “up to five million more people to be displaced,” warned US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

Washington and its Western allies are expected to announce new sanctions, after the first they imposed in response to Moscow’s recognition of separatists who have been fighting the Ukrainian army for eight years, in a conflict that has killed more than 14,000 people to date, according to Kiev.

Kiev urges Turkey to close Bosphorus and Dardanelles to Russian warships

Ukraine urges Turkey to close Bosphorus and Dardanelles to Russian ships and wants sanctions imposed on Moscow, the Ukrainian ambassador to Ankara said.

“We ask for the closure of the airspace, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. We conveyed the relevant request to the Turkish side. At the same time, we want sanctions to be imposed on the Russian side, “said Ambassador Vassil Bodnar during a news conference in Ankara.

Turkey, a NATO member that shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, opposes sanctions against Moscow, but has called Russia’s actions against Ukraine unacceptable. Under a 1936 agreement, Ankara controls the Bosphorus Strait and the Dardanelles and may restrict the passage of warships if it deems it threatened or during war.