Ukrainian forces fought pitched battles against Russian invaders on three sides on Thursday after Moscow mounted a multi-pronged assault by land, sea and air, killing dozens of people, according to local authorities and prompting tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. The US and its allies have slapped harsh new sanctions against Russia amid worldwide condemnations against the invasion. Follow the day's events as they unfolded on our liveblog. New live coverage coming up on the war in Ukraine.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a military operation in Ukraine, in a surprise televised address shortly before 6am local time. He warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with Russia's invasion would lead to “consequences they have never seen".
- The attack sparked an international outcry, especially in the US and the EU, triggering emergency meetings in several capitals.
- Russian troops fought pitched battles with Ukrainian forces for control of military installations across the country. The Russian army claimed to have destroyed 74 military facilities, including 11 airfields in Ukraine.
- Thursday's fighting between the Russians and Ukrainians left dozens of people dead, according to the first available figures, with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warning of massive casualties.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised to resist the invasion, saying a “new iron curtain” now separates Russia from the rest of the world.
- French President Emmanuel Macron had a late night phone call with Putin and demanded an end to the military operation in Ukraine. Earlier Thursday, Macron said France and its allies would impose tough sanctions on Russia in a televised address.
- US President Joe Biden announced sweeping sanctions and expert restrictions on Russia and promised “continued support and assistance” to Ukraine.
- The Pentagon is set to deploy 7,000 additional troops to Germany.
- Anti-war protesters took to the streets in several cities across the world, including a number of Russian cities. Russian police arrested around 1,400 protesters, according to the NGO, OVD-Info.
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(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AFP and AP)
