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Firefighting work after an explosion in Chuguiv: the attack on Ukraine began during the night
Photo: Aris Messinis / AFP
Until recently it seemed hard to imagine, but now the worst fears have come true: Russia has attacked Ukraine.
During the night, President Vladimir Putin announced the large-scale military operation.
Since then, events have unfolded.
An overview of the developments of the past few hours.
The military situation
The Russian attack on Ukraine began last night.
The attack
is apparently aimed at the entire country
, Russia is attacking on several flanks.
According to the Kremlin's armed forces, they
rendered Ukraine's air defense system "completely harmless"
.
According to the Ukrainian border guard,
Russian ground forces entered Ukraine from several directions
, including Belarus.
The Russian army crossed the border from the annexed Crimean peninsula with tanks and other heavy equipment, as well as in Chernihiv in the north on the border with Belarus.
According to head of state Alexander Lukashenko, troops from Belarus, which is an ally of Russia, are not involved in the Russian military operation against neighboring Ukraine, according to the Belta news agency.
According to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry,
military command centers have been attacked
in several cities.
Kiev is also affected, says an official at the ministry.
The Reuters news agency had previously reported an explosion in the capital.
Explosions
were heard in the port city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov,
in the Black Sea city of Odessa, in the country's second largest city, Kharkiv, as well as in Kramatorsk and on the front line to the eastern Ukrainian separatist areas.
In Kiev, the international airport was attacked.
According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, the Russian armed forces are not attacking any Ukrainian cities.
The RIA news agency reports that civilians are not in danger, citing the ministry.
However, there are several first pictures showing destroyed blocks of flats.
Kiev also reports
several dead civilians
.
More than 40 Ukrainian soldiers and about ten civilians were killed
in the first hours of the Russian attack
.
Dozens of soldiers were also injured, said presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych.
The civilian population
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on his compatriots
to defend Ukraine against Russian forces
.
All citizens willing to do so should come forward, he said.
Those who are willing to "defend our state with weapons in their hands" should also receive some.
Defense Minister Oleksii Resnikov also said that anyone who is willing and able to hold a weapon can join the armed forces.
Police said guns would be issued to the veterans.
At the same time, the flight from the capital Kiev has apparently begun.
Aerial photos show long queues on the freeways.
The Ukrainian railway also announced that it would use
evacuation trains from eastern Ukraine and from the Odessa region
in the south of the country.
According to the pro-Russian rebels,
evacuations of civilians to Russia
are suspended.
This is reported by the Russian news agency Interfax.
In neighboring Poland, hospitals are preparing to take
in possible injured people from Ukraine.
The Ministry of Health in Warsaw announced that beds would be provided.
Germany is also expecting refugee movements from Ukraine.
Federal Interior Minister
Nancy Faeser promised Poland and other Eastern European partners help in taking in refugees from Ukraine
.
"We are following very closely whether there will be refugee movements in our neighboring countries," said the SPD politician.
"We will provide massive support to the countries affected - especially our neighboring country Poland - should there be large movements of refugees."
The reactions
The government in Kiev has
imposed martial law
and severed diplomatic relations with Russia.
more on the subject
Russian attack on Ukraine: NATO countries discuss in emergency meeting
Reactions to Russian attack: "The world will hold Russia accountable"
Chancellor Scholz: "This is a terrible day for Ukraine and a dark day for Europe"
The West condemned the attack as a breach of international law and announced new sanctions against Russia:
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD)
has announced "tough sanctions" against Russia for today.
The aim is to make it clear to the Russian leadership: "They are paying a bitter price for this aggression," he said after deliberations by the German security cabinet in Berlin.
Russia's President Putin "made a serious mistake with this war," he emphasized, referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Scholz has requested a special session of the Bundestag for this Sunday in order to make a government statement.
US President Joe Biden declared
that Putin "decided to wage a deliberate war that will result in catastrophic loss of life and human suffering."
The United States and its allies would "act as one and decisive," he promised.
"The world will hold Russia accountable."
The EU announced
that it would immediately impose tightened sanctions on Russia.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Brussels that she would propose another package of "massive and targeted sanctions" to the heads of state and government of the 27 member states.
The EU leaders meet on Thursday evening for a crisis summit, which they say could decide on the punitive measures.
Representatives of the 30 NATO countries
met in Brussels for an emergency meeting.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had previously sharply condemned Russia's "reckless and unprovoked attack".
The military alliance will do everything to protect its members, he stressed.
More background can be found here:
The powerlessness of the world: when Putin declared war on Ukraine, the UN Security Council was meeting in New York to prevent exactly that.
Protocol of an international failure.
“The point here is that Russia is demanding a different world order”: Vladimir Putin has his troops march into Ukraine.
In an interview, military strategist William Alberque explains what Russia's next steps could be - and what options Putin is keeping open.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is launching a large-scale attack on Ukraine - and in his televised declaration of war he again attacks the West, which has crossed "red lines".
How far will he go?
"At 5:50 a.m. we heard the first bang": The first impacts hit the residents of the Ukrainian capital unprepared.
Some flee to bunkers, others frantically pack their bags.
And everyone is asking themselves: flee – or stay?
asc/Reuters/dpa/AFP/AP