MOSCOW (AP) — Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions, warning other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences you have never seen.”
Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced martial law, saying Russia has targeted Ukraine’s military infrastructure and explosions are heard across the country. Zelenskyy said he had just talked to President Joe Biden and the U.S. was rallying international support for Ukraine. He urged Ukrainians to stay home and not to panic
Biden pledged new sanctions meant to punish Russia for an act of aggression that the international community had for weeks anticipated but could not prevent through diplomacy.
Putin justified it all in a televised address, asserting the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine — a false claim the U.S. had predicted he would make as a pretext for an invasion. He accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demand to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and offer Moscow security guarantees, and credulously claimed that Russia doesn’t intend to occupy Ukraine but will move to “demilitarize” it and bring those who committed crimes to justice.
Biden in a written statement condemned the “unprovoked and unjustified attack” on Ukraine and he promised the U.S. and its allies “will hold Russia accountable.” Biden said he planned to speak to Americans on Thursday after a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders. More sanctions against Russia were expected to be announced Thursday.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba described the action as a “full-scale invasion of Ukraine” and a “war of aggression,” adding, “Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”
The Russian military said it has struck Ukrainian air bases and other military assets and hasn’t targeted populated areas. The Russian Defense Ministry statement said the military is using precision weapons to target Ukrainian air bases, air defense assets and other military infrastructure. It claimed that “there is no threat to civilian population.”
Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, said on Facebook that the Russian military has launched missile strikes on Ukrainian military command facilities, air bases and military depots in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro.
After the initial explosions in Kyiv, people could be heard shouting in the streets. But then a sense of normality returned, with cars circulating and people walking in the streets as a pre-dawn commute appeared to be starting in relative calm.
Beyond casualties that could overwhelm Ukraine’s government, the consequences of the conflict and resulting sanctions levied on Russia could reverberate throughout the world, affecting energy supplies in Europe, jolting global financial markets and threatening the post-Cold War balance on the continent.
Asian stock markets plunged and oil prices surged after the military action got underway. Earlier, Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index fell 1.8% to an eight-month low after the Kremlin said rebels in eastern Ukraine asked for military assistance
Anticipating international condemnation and countermeasures, Putin issued a stark warning to other countries not to meddle, saying, “whoever tries to impede us, let alone create threats for our country and its people, must know that the Russian response will be immediate and lead to the consequences you have never seen in history.”
Putin urged Ukrainian servicemen to “immediately put down arms and go home.”
In a stark reminder of Russia’s nuclear power, Putin warned that “no one should have any doubts that a direct attack on our country will lead to the destruction and horrible consequences for any potential aggressor.” He emphasized that Russia is “one of the most potent nuclear powers and also has a certain edge in a range of state-of-the-art weapons.”
Though the U.S. on Tuesday announced the repositioning of forces around the Baltics, Biden has said he will not send in troops to fight Russia.
Putin announced the military operation after the Kremlin said rebels in eastern Ukraine asked Russia for military assistance to help fend off Ukrainian “aggression,” an announcement that the White House said was a “false flag” operation by Moscow to offer up a pretext for an invasion.
Putin’s announcement came just hours after the Ukrainian president rejected Moscow’s claims that his country poses a threat to Russia and made a passionate, last-minute plea for peace.
“The people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine want peace,” Zelenskyy said in an emotional overnight address, speaking in Russian in a direct appeal to Russian citizens. “But if we come under attack, if we face an attempt to take away our country, our freedom, our lives and lives of our children, we will defend ourselves. When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs.”
Zelenskyy said he asked to arrange a call with Putin late Wednesday, but the Kremlin did not respond.
In an apparent reference to Putin’s move to authorize the deployment of the Russian military to “maintain peace” in eastern Ukraine, Zelensky warned that “this step could mark the start of a big war on the European continent.”
“Any provocation, any spark could trigger a blaze that will destroy everything,” he said.
He challenged the Russian propaganda claims, saying that “you are told that this blaze will bring freedom to the people of Ukraine, but the Ukrainian people are free.”
At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council called by Ukraine because of the imminent threat of a Russian invasion, members still unaware of Putin’s announcement appealed to him to stop an attack. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the meeting, just before the announcement, telling Putin: “Stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people have already died.”
NATO Secretary-General Jen Stoltenberg issued a statement saying he strongly condemns “Russia’s reckless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which puts at risk countless civilian lives. Once again, despite our repeated warnings and tireless efforts to engage in diplomacy, Russia has chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country.”
Anxiety about an imminent Russian offensive soared after Putin recognized the separatist regions’ independence on Monday, endorsed the deployment of troops to the rebel territories and received parliamentary approval to use military force outside the country. The West responded with sanctions.
Late Wednesday, Ukrainian lawmakers approved a decree that imposes a nationwide state of emergency for 30 days starting Thursday. The measure allows authorities to declare curfews and other restrictions on movement, block rallies and ban political parties and organizations “in the interests of national security and public order.”
The action reflected increasing concern among Ukrainian authorities after weeks of trying to project calm. The Foreign Ministry advised against travel to Russia and recommended that any Ukrainians who are there leave immediately.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Wednesday the Russian force of more than 150,000 troops arrayed along Ukraine’s borders is in an advanced state of readiness. “They are ready to go right now,” Kirby said.
Early Thursday, airspace over all of Ukraine was shut down to civilian air traffic, according to a notice to airmen. A commercial flight tracking website showed that an Israeli El Al Boeing 787 flying from Tel Aviv to Toronto turned abruptly out of Ukrainian airspace before detouring over Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. The only other aircraft tracked over Ukraine was a U.S. RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned surveillance plane, which began flying westward early Thursday after Russia put in place flight restrictions over Ukrainian territory.
Another wave of distributed-denial-of-service attacks hit Ukraine’s parliament and other government and banking websites on Wednesday, and cybersecurity researchers said unidentified attackers had also infected hundreds of computers with destructive malware.
Officials have long said they expect cyberattacks to precede and accompany any Russian military incursion, and analysts said the incidents hew to a nearly two-decade-old Russian playbook of wedding cyber operations with real-world aggression.
Even before Putin’s announcement, dozens of nations imposed sanctions on Russia, further squeezing Russian oligarchs and banks out of international markets.
Biden allowed sanctions to move forward against the company that built the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and against the company’s CEO.
Germany said Tuesday that it was indefinitely suspending the project, after Biden charged that Putin had launched “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine” by sending troops into the separatist regions. The pipeline is complete but has not yet begun operating.
Even before the Russian military attack on Ukraine began, the threat of war had shredded Ukraine’s economy and raised the specter of massive casualties, energy shortages across Europe and global economic chaos.
European Union sanctions against Russia took effect, targeting several companies along with 351 Russian lawmakers who voted for a motion urging Putin to recognize the rebel regions and 27 senior government officials, business executives and top military officers.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has shrugged off the sanctions, saying that “Russia has proven that, with all the costs of the sanctions, it is able to minimize the damage.”
Karmanau and Heintz reported from Kyiv. Angela Charlton in Paris; Frank Jordans in Berlin; Lorne Cook in Brussels, Frank Bajak in Boston, Robert Burns, Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Eric Tucker, Ellen Knickmeyer, Zeke Miller, Chris Megerian and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed.
Follow AP’s coverage of the Ukraine crisis at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Vladimir is as big of a liar as Joe—all of those “assurances” that an invasion was not going to happen. Not that anybody believed that.
HAS ANY deal he’s made with us, ever been kept? IF NOT, why the hell should anyone ever again, believe a word out of putin’s mouth?
Putin didn-t Move Their Weapons And Troops Just To Be Doing Something, No Unlike
The “puppet President Joe Biden he Meant Business When He Surrounded Ukraine
With his Military Surrpunding Ukrain, Putin Had A Purpose All Along And That Purpose Was To Over Run And Return Ukraine To Russia By Mititary Forces. Unlike Joe Biden, Putin didn’t just ” Huff And Puf ” f ,Or Blow Ukraines House Down Putin Meant Business
My mom was wondering. WHY if russia can continually hack US, can’t we get our OWN supposed hackers, to HACK THE HELL out of russia back..
BUT looking at how lots of them live, i wonder, WOULD THEY NOTICE any difference!?
The day has come when every country has lost their respect for America because of its Poor excuse of A President and his administration of ” Intolerant Po?itically Correct , Laufhing Leftists. This Adminostration has enboldened Russia to Attack Little Countries like Ukraine Which it Never would before when Putin Knew That America Had A president that every Country Respected, And Not A Paper Tiger like Joe Biden.
“any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences you have never seen.”,,,,,,,and Putin needs to understand that the USA response will be consequences the Russians HAVE seen,,,,,enter Chernobyl which to this day still glows in the dark at night. Biden needs to make our response up close and personal for Putin and alert the Russian people they need to topple Putin before the innocent in Russia and the entire region suffer for Putin’s delusions and inability to grasp the reality of a nuclear exchange where nobody wins. One man should never be allowed by a people to lead them into a situation of national holocaust. Age depleted Putin like Hitler knows his time on this earth is running out and he cares not who he takes with him when he goes. The Russian people themselves should be the solution in removing him from power and joining the rest of the earth in shared prosperity, nothing of what Putin now offers. We should declare Putin an enemy of humanity who needs to have the crimes against humanity he has already committed, catch up to him while he still lives, while his legacy on earth dies in disgrace.
WHY are the ukrainians not fighting back? WHAT the hell happened with all those millions in WEAPONRY WE sent them!?
OR as i fear, it made its way onto the black market.
All The Cards O n the Table At The Present Time Looked Favorable For Putin To Attack Ukraine, China had Joined Russia, Putin, in Leage And America had A Paper Tiger With democrat, Weak President, Joe Biden Commander – In- Chief A Mere Pupett of The Socialist Elite Running And In Control Of Policy Matters So What Better Time For Putin To Attack Ukraine And Joe Biden Was Agreeable To Russia’s Pipe Line SupplyingGermany With Oil And Energy White Shutting Down Americas Key- Stone Pipe- Line . With Puppet Joe Biden As President , Putin Believed There Was No Better Time To Attack Ukraine.
” ” Ukraine Burned While democrat President, Joe Biden Fiddled” With Russia’s Putin Boomed Ukraine into submission With his Massive Russian Weapons…And China wasn’t A Bit Upset With Putins Actions Agaist Ukraine, ‘we’re Surprised By China’s Actions . !
Biden pledged new sanctions meant to punish Russia for an act of aggression.
Vladimir Putin and most of the world has nothing but contempt for our corrupt, demented, puppet president F. joe biden.
If WE the PEOPLE continue to support this
treasonous, destructive, demonic, socialist Democrat Party,
We the free U.S.A. will fall and WE the People will be servants to a Socialist government.
Putin knows that Biden will do nothing to stop him except issue his phony warnings. Ukraine is now part of Russia and only a full blown war will change anything.
Joe Biden is nothing but a puppet president, obedient to his masters, like Barrack Obama.
Remember this:
Obama’s reaction to reporters asking him if failing to back up his 2012 “red line” challenge may have damaged his credibility. His answer is shockingly immature and petulant, saying “I didn’t set a red line. The world set a red line.”
Our President is again passing responsibility for his own behavior onto someone else.
This must be very embarrassing to liberals and Democrats.
Answering the question of credibility, the President sniffed, “My credibility isn’t on the line. The international community’s credibility is on the line.”
The President of the United States is throwing an international temper tantrum while “the world” mocks him.
WHICH NO ONE has the stomach for…
Doesn’t Russia Feel A little Mismatched In Their Attacking Ukraine ? …
I don’t think so.. THEY LOVE being the bully.
Democrat President Joe Biden , ” By Their Works Ye Shall Know Them. ” Said The Bible. Joe Biden’s Works Have Proven Ineffective against Russia’s Putin. With Only democrats Approving Of Them, THe Elite of the democrrat Party Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumber And Thee Lke Approved of Puppet Joe BIdden’s Preformance.
i have been saying this for some time.
putin is a communist at heart and he is hell bent on restoring mother russia back to the soviet union or c.c.c.p.
an he is well on his way with the west and euoropean allies are to busy eating ice cream to care.
joeseph biden should be impeached for treason , aiding and abedding our enemies like china and russia, and not enforcing our borders god only knows how much destruction this will cause in america and already has.
I’ve spent the past week daydreaming about either
A) Parking a few dozen imperial star destroyers over russia’s head, and OBLITERATING THEM FROM orbit..
Or B) going age of apocalypse on them, and mentally taking over every nuke silo/missile they have, and Detonating them where they sit!
The weak, do nothing United Nations, a weak clown in the White House and look what happens. Look at what is happening to our Country. We have rampant inflation and the inflation will be Jimmy Carter inflation soon. Thanks Biden for making us dependent on Russian and Middle Eastern oil, you traitor criminal!
I honestly believe, THAT WAS his goal.. To make US Too dependent on THEM.
When we have , a Puppet President Like Joe Biden, And A United Nations Founded By A Communist America Is In Deep Trouble With China And Russia In League With EaCH OTHER. .
Putin Realized that America Had A Puppet President, Joe Biden and the United Nations was Unwilling To Do anything About Putin’s attack on Ukraine Meaningful, Putin was free to destroy Ukraine and Bidens State Of The Union Speech was Applauded by Nancy Pelosi and the democrat elite as if Joe Biden Had Realy Done something Great when all he did was read off the Tele_Prompter. Ukrine still was Under Attack.