Russia launches military operation in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the beginning of a military operation in eastern Ukraine to protect people from “abuse and genocide” by the Ukrainian government for eight years.

The Ukrainian government has said that will defend itself against this aggression and US President Joe Biden has promised Ukraine “international aid.”

“The Donbass people’s republics have approached Russia with a request for help. In this connection I have made a decision to conduct a special military operation. Its goal is protect people who are subjected to abuse, genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years, and for this we will seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine and bring to justice those who committed numerous bloody crimes against peaceful people, including Russian nationals,” Putin said in a televised address .

Putin has pointed out that Russia does not plan the occupation of Ukrainian territories, but supports the right of the peoples of Ukraine to self-determination.

Belarusian military have helped Russia during attacks that “the Ukrainian state border has suffered” this morning, the Ukrainian Border Service reported today.

Russian troops attacks “with the help of Belarus” they have taken place with artillery, heavy equipment and shooting weapons, said that body in a statement posted on Facebook.

The Russian Armed Forces have claimed to have neutralized the anti-aircraft defense of Ukraine and have destroyed the infrastructure of the air bases of this country in the framework of the military operation launched by Moscow.

The president of Ukraine, Volodímir Zelenski, has reported this morning of Russian attacks against the infrastructure of the country’s Armed Forces.

Russia has justified in the Security Council of the UN, in New York, its decision to intervene in Ukraine due to the alleged Kiev “provocations” and the situation of the population of Donbass, and has underlined that it does not seek an “occupation” of the neighboring country.

The Ukrainian authorities have recommended to their population evacuate the Donbass territory in the face of the massive Russian attack and the military operation launched by the separatist militias.

air space

Ukraine has ordered today the closure of its airspace after the beginning of the military operation launched by Russia in the country.

Russia has closed airspace to civil aircraft from Thursday on its western border with Ukraine and Belarus, according to a notice issued by Russian aviation authorities.

international reactions

The Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, has assured that he has spoken by telephone with his colleague from the United States, Joe Biden, and has said that he has promised him “international support”.

The president of United States, Joe Bidenhas accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of launching an attack “unprovoked and unwarranted” against Ukraine and betting on a “premeditated war” that will cause a “catastrophic loss of life and suffering”. Biden has responded in a brief but resounding statement to Putin’s announcement of the start of a military operation in eastern Ukraine.

The general secretary of the UNAntónio Guterres, has called on Russia to back down and stop its intervention in Ukraine, while assuring that “this war makes no sense”.

The European Union (EU) has condemned this Thursday the “unjustified” Russian attack against Ukraine, expressed its fear for civilians and assured that it will hold the Kremlin “accountable” for it.

The general secretary of the NATOJens Stoltenberg condemned “strongly” on Thursday Russia’s “unprovoked” attack on Ukraine, which he said risks “countless civilian lives”, and lamented that Moscow had chosen the “path of aggression”.