Kyiv: As many as 40 Ukrainian soldiers and around 10 civilians have been killed by Russian shelling, as per a Reuters report which has quoted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s advisor. Ukraine said it killed ‘around 50 Russian occupiers’ without providing details. The casualties are the latest in a series of fast-paced developments that began when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine early Thursday. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s ambassador to India urged PM Narendra Modi to contact Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr to mediate the crisis.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday said that the country has severed diplomatic relations with Russia after Moscow launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea on Thursday, the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two and confirmation of the worst fears of the West. Zelenskiy has declared martial law in the country and the Ukrainian foreign minister vowed to fight and defeat Russia.
Ukraine has said that it killed ‘around 50 Russian occupiers’.
Following Putin’s invasion early on Thursday, explosions were reported in several areas of Ukraine and air sirens went off in Kyiv, indicating that the capital city is under attack. Shortly afterwards, the Russian defence ministry said that Ukraine’s air bases and military infrastructure has been neutralised, according to an IFX news agency report.
Zelenskiy on Thursday called on all citizens who were ready to defend the country from Russian forces to come forward, saying Kyiv would issue weapons to everyone who wants them. Zelenskiy also urged Russians to come out and protest against the war.
‘We have severed diplomatic relations with Russia. For all those who have not yet lost their conscience in Russia, it is time to go out and protest against the war with Ukraine’ Zelenskiy said in a tweet.
Traffic jams were reported as people left the city of Kyiv, Ukraine.
The European Union said it is planning the “strongest, the harshest package” of sanctions it has ever considered. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “the target is the stability in Europe and the whole of the international peace order, and we will hold President (Vladimir) Putin accountable for that”.
Britain too said it will respond with the largest and most severe sanctions package Moscow has ever seen, with some beginning Thursday. France has convened a national defence council meeting for 0900 CET. In a statement, the French presidential palace also said that President Emmanuel Macron spoke via mobile phone to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has asked for multiple interventions in support of his country.
Poland said it expects NATO’s eastern flank to be reinforced. In Latvia, around forty US service members arrived in Latvia from Italy early Thursday, the first group of what is expected to be a deployment of more than 300 troops.