Russian president, Vladmir Putin approves ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine starting with major cities.
Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.
Russian forces have attacked Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin announced he had authorised a “special military operation” in the ountry’s east at the same time as the United Nations Security Council met for its second emergency meeting this week.
Russian media on Thursday reported President Putin saying he had approved a “special military operation” in the Donbas region of Ukraine, where Moscow earlier recognised rebel-held territories in Luhansk and Donetsk and said they had asked for its “help”.
Clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces were only a matter of time, he added.
“Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. “Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes. This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”
US President Joe Biden, in a phone call with Zelenskyy, condemned the “unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces”, the White House said.
Biden said in a statement he briefed Zelenskyy on Washington’s and its allies’ planned next steps against Russia, including “severe sanctions”.
