Ukraine Conflict: Zelenskyy 'Declared Target #1' - 'Terrible' Rocket Attacks on Kiev

Created: 02/25/2022, 05:57

By: Klaus-Maria Mehr, Andreas Schmid

A war is raging in Europe, and numerous deaths and injuries have already been reported.

Russian troops march into Ukraine, there are explosions in Kiev.

News ticker.

• Russia's invasion of Ukraine has begun: The Ukraine conflict* has escalated.

• The Russian army is advancing with ground forces in Ukraine.

  Explosions repeatedly shake Kiev and other cities in the country

  (see update from February 25, 4:43 a.m.).

• The Ukrainian President Zelenskyj sees himself as "target number 1"

  (see update from February 25, 00:47).

• This

  news ticker about events in Ukraine

  is continuously updated.

  All information on the Ukraine war can be found on our topic page on the Ukraine conflict*.

Update from February 25, 5.40 a.m

.: The Ukrainian border guard has reported fatalities from rocket fire at one of its posts in the south of the country on the Azov Sea.

There were several dead and injured during the night on Friday, the authority said on Facebook.

The town of Primorskyj Posad is located on the coast between the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia, and the eastern Ukrainian separatist area.

The Ukrainian military assumes that the Russian army wants to capture a corridor between the two areas.

In addition, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba

tweeted on Friday night: "Terrible Russian rocket attacks on Kiev."

was attacked by Nazi Germany.” Despite the massive attacks, the minister was demonstratively optimistic: “Ukraine has defeated this evil and will defeat it.”

Police officers inspected an area after a Russian attack in Kiev on February 24.

© Emilio Morenatti/dpa

Ukraine War: Explosions in Kiev - debris of a rocket hit

Update from February 25, 4.43 a.m .:

Several explosions shook the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Friday night (February 25).

This was reported by the Unian agency.

Among other things, a multi-storey residential building on the east bank of the Dnipro River was hit, where fire broke out.

The city administration announced on Telegram that debris from a rocket had hit there.

Three people were injured.

There, Ukrainian forces managed to shoot down a Russian aircraft, wrote an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister.

Update from February 25, 3:43 a.m .:

A reporter team from the US news channel CNN reported three explosions in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

Apparently, the capital of Ukraine was fired with rockets, an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister told reporters.

"Attacks on Kiev with cruise missiles or ballistic missiles continued."

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Confrontation on Snake Island

Update from February 25, 2:57 a.m .:

According to information from the US news broadcaster CNN, an audio recording from Ukraine has appeared, which is an argument between Ukrainian soldiers and a Russian officer.

Specifically, the recording should come from Snake Island in the Black Sea, which Russia took on Thursday (February 24).

All Ukrainian defenders of the island were killed, reported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to the audio recording, the Russian officer said, "This is a Russian warship.

I suggest that you lay down your arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed.

Otherwise we will open fire.” A Ukrainian soldier replied: “Russian warship, fuck off.”  

War in Ukraine: Russian army mostly engaged

Update from February 25, 2 a.m.:

According to the Ukrainian general staff, the Russian army has advanced into Ukraine with a large part of its troops.

A military spokesman told the German Press Agency of 60 tactical battalion groups, which are fast combat troops with 600 to 1000 soldiers.

According to the information, the Russian army has assembled around 90 such groups.

Russia is concentrating on the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.

The main goal is to blockade the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

Update from February 25, 12:47 a.m .:

According to information from the news channel CNN, President Volodymyr Zelenskyj believes that Russian sabotage groups have penetrated the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

He added: "According to our information, the enemy has marked me as target #1 and my family as target #2.

They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state.”

Ukraine-Russia War: President orders general mobilization

Update from February 25, 00:27:

The Russian invasion killed more than 130 people on the Ukrainian side, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Today we lost 137 of our heroes, our citizens.

Military and civilians,” said the President of Ukraine in a video speech on Friday night (February 25, 2022).

In addition, 316 people were injured in the fighting.

Update from February 24, 11:42 p.m .:

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj ordered general mobilization.

Because of Russia's "military aggression," reservists and conscripts from across the country would be called to arms within 90 days, according to a decree published on Thursday evening.

Russia had launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine in the morning, invading from multiple sides.

War in Europe: Fighting continues in the country - Eerie silence in the capital

Update from February 24, 11:33 p.m .:

While the fighting in many places in Ukraine continues through the night, it is eerily quiet in the capital Kiev in the north-west of the country.

There is martial law and a curfew.

That's why there are hardly any cars driving over the otherwise very busy Maidan, Independence Square in the center of Kiev, symbol and center of the Orange Revolution in 2004, when the Ukrainians successfully defended themselves against electoral fraud.

Likewise in 2014 the stage for the Euromaidan protests.

The Maidan, usually noisy, lively and full of European flags.

Now completely empty, dead, as documented by this live cam.

Many fled Kiev during the day today.

Those who stayed are now sitting at home, waiting in agonizing uncertainty for Putin's next move.

Will the Russian military take Kiev again that night?

How many troops have already gathered around the metropolis?

Does Ukraine even have a chance to resist a full-scale invasion?

Ukraine conflict: 100,000 people fleeing - 137 dead

Update from February 24, 11:01 p.m.:

The Russian invasion killed 137 people on the Ukrainian side, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In addition, 316 people were injured in the fighting, said Selenskyj in a video speech on Friday night.

The UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) speaks of 100,000 Ukrainians who are already fleeing within the country.

"There has clearly been significant displacement within the country and there is movement towards borders and abroad," a UNHCR spokeswoman said in Geneva on Thursday evening.

The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, tweeted in the evening that more than 4,000 people crossed the border from Ukraine on Thursday.

"Our borders are open to people from Ukraine who need safe residence or want to transit,"

writes Sandu on Twitter.

Moldova is considered one of the poorest countries in Europe.

War in Ukraine: Men between 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country

Update from February 24, 10:45 p.m .:

Meanwhile, there are dramatic effects for all refugees in Ukraine: Due to the imposed state of emergency, according to Ukrainian authorities, male Ukrainian citizens between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country.

They will not be allowed across the border, said the head of the Ukrainian customs authority in Lviv, Danil Menshikov, on Facebook on Thursday evening.

He asked people not to panic and not try to cross the border on their own.

Where is the Russian army?

Situation still confusing - reference to strategy

February 24 update, 10:23 p.m.:

Did the Ukrainian military underestimate Putin's determination?

In any case, hardly anyone expected a total pincer attack on Ukrainian territory by Putin's Russia.

On the contrary, most observers suspected an invasion of the eastern separatist areas already controlled by pro-Russian groups - probably also by the Ukrainian army.

The front line there is at least the only one from which the Ukrainian army - at least - reports holding positions.

The situation in the Donetsk theater of operations is tense, but is being controlled by the army, according to a report by the Ukrainian army on Thursday evening.

The shelling by Russia continues.

Despite extensive attacks, "the enemy" had not succeeded in penetrating deep into Ukraine from the east.

All important settlements and important infrastructure are kept.

According to the current status, no further attempts at a breakthrough by "the enemy" have been registered.

Fire activity has decreased in some places.

The situation in western Ukraine is completely different.

North and south of the capital Kiev, there are repeated reports of rapid advances and successes by the Russian army.

Chernobyl including the decommissioned reactor plant was taken.

There are reports of Russian ground forces advancing from the Black Sea coast and paratroopers landing near Kiev.

Update from February 24, 9:45 p.m .:

According to Russian government information, a Russian transport plane with military equipment on board crashed near the border with Ukraine.

The Antonov An-26 crashed in the Voronezh region in southern Russia on Thursday, Russian news agencies quoted a statement from the Defense Ministry as saying on Thursday.

The crew died in the process.

It was not disclosed how many crew members were on board.

Apparently overwhelming: Russian tanks, here in the north of the Crimean Peninsula on Thursday morning.

© Konstantin Mihalchevskiy/Imago

Update from February 24, 9:22 p.m .:

Kiev is surrounded by Russian troops, explosions can be heard in Kiev again.

Putin's army is apparently on the verge of the Ukrainian capital.

The BBC reports that Russian parachutists drop 40 kilometers from Kiev.

Western secret services are assuming that Kiev will be conquered that very night.

Nevertheless, all information from Ukraine must of course always be treated with caution.

Nothing can be verified at the moment.

Ukraine war: Russia is close to Kiev - conquest probably a matter of hours

Update from February 24, 8:33 p.m .:

Our editors are currently in contact with a Ukrainian whose friends are fighting in the National Guard.

She herself is currently fleeing the city of Kiev in a car.

Because her contacts in the military let her know that she should leave the city within the next hour and a half.

They assume that Kiev is being bombed and will soon be in Russian hands.

It could only be a few hours until then.

Here is the whole on-site report on day 1 of the Ukraine war.*

Traffic jam in a surrounded city: Long columns of cars heading out of town in Kiev.

The capital of Ukraine will probably fall tonight.

© Sergey Starostenko/dpa

Intelligence officials: Russia has gained "complete air sovereignty" over Ukraine

Update from February 24, 8:24 p.m .:

According to a Western secret service representative, Russia has achieved “complete air sovereignty” over Ukraine with its major attack on Ukraine.

The secret service representative said in Brussels on Thursday that Ukraine no longer has any air defense capabilities: "They no longer have an air force to protect themselves."

The Russian army is now targeting the capital Kiev, the secret service representative said.

“Much will depend on what resistance the Ukrainians can put up.

But I expect that in the coming hours the Russians will try to gather an overwhelming force around the capital.”

Update from February 24, 8:08 p.m.:

The OSCE is evacuating all employees from Ukraine “as soon as possible,” just announced OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid.

This step had become necessary due to the ongoing fighting and the worsening security situation, Schmid continued in a recent statement.

Ukraine conflict: OSCE announces withdrawal of its staff “as soon as possible”

The withdrawal of the current OSCE mission from Ukraine has historical dimensions.

The OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) has peacekeeping in Europe as its primary objective.

The mission in Ukraine monitored the conflict between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian army in all regions of the country.

At the time, all observers saw Russia's approval of the mission as an important step towards detente following the annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

At the same time, the situation in Ukraine is becoming much more confusing with the OSCE withdrawal.

Until yesterday, the observers had provided credible, impartial reports from the conflict regions.

This is ending now.

War in Ukraine: Putin apparently encircles Kiev

Update from February 24, 7:55 p.m .:

While Biden is speaking to the camera, the Russian offensive in Ukraine continues.

The Ukraine conflict has turned into a Ukraine war today.

How long this lasts is another question entirely.

After the territorial gains of the Russian army reported by both sides, maybe not for so long.

Putin and his army are clearly encircling the Ukrainian capital Kiev from all sides.

Again and again there are reports of areas occupied by Russian ground troops.

Reports of strong or even successful resistance by Ukrainian troops are rather rare.

February 24 update, 7:45 p.m.:

Biden is now speaking.

Here in the video.

Update from February 24, 7:22 p.m

.: Meanwhile, another explosion can be heard in Kiev.

Otherwise, the streets are quiet.

There was also no new bomb alarm in the capital in the evening.

Putin invasion of Ukraine: Russian troops capture Chernobyl

Update from February 24, 7:01 p.m .:

According to the AFP news agency, Russia has taken control of Chernobyl.

Previously, Ukrainian and Russian units fought each other around the former reactor facility.

Russia controls the exclusion zone and all facilities of the nuclear ruins, says Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.

According to Ukraine, Russian troops have now taken control of the Chernobyl disaster reactor (archive image).

Before that there had been fierce fighting.

© Efrem Lukatsky/dpa

Update from February 24, 6:53 p.m .:

According to information from Moscow, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is continuing.

"The special military operation continues," Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Thursday, according to the Interfax agency in Moscow.

According to him, the separatist fighters from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions advanced six to eight kilometers into Ukrainian territory.

The Russian army helped.

The spokesman confirmed the capture of the important North Crimean canal.

As a result, the waterway was "unblocked" and the water supply to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea was restored.

Russian paratroopers were also deployed.

After the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula by Russia in 2014, Ukraine closed the canal, which is important for the water supply.

Update from February 24, 6:22 p.m.:

In about an hour, US President Joe Biden wants to step in front of the cameras and describe America's reactions to Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Here you can follow

Earlier, Biden met with the G7 countries to discuss further sanctions.

Putin on Russian TV: "We were given no other choice"

At the same time, Putin steps in front of the camera.

He lets himself be filmed with business people in Moscow.

On the war he provoked in Ukraine, Putin says: Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the attack on Ukraine as an absolutely necessary measure for national defense.

"What is happening here is forced action," Putin said Thursday night at a televised meeting with Russian businessmen in Moscow.

"We were given no other choice."

Kiev/Moscow, February 24, 5:33 p.m.:

The Ukraine conflict escalated on Thursday.

The war has started.

Russia invaded Ukraine.

As reported by the Ukrainian police, the fighting has now spread to almost the entire country.

The Ukraine conflict* also comes into effect in Chernobyl.

Ukraine conflict: fighting with Russian troops near nuclear waste storage facility in Chernobyl

According to the government in Kiev, the fighting in Ukraine is also spreading to the area where the Chernobyl nuclear reactor was destroyed.

A representative of the Interior Ministry in Kiev said there were fighting between Ukrainian and Russian units near the nuclear waste storage facility.

Russian troops entered northern Ukraine from Belarus, and the Ukrainian National Guard soldiers stationed at the nuclear waste disposal site put up "stubborn resistance" to the attack.

"Russian occupying forces are trying to capture the Chernobyl nuclear power plant," Zelenskyy tweeted on Thursday.

"Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 does not repeat itself." The head of state emphasized: "This is a declaration of war against all of Europe." The Chernobyl accident on April 26, 1986 is considered the greatest disaster in civilian use of nuclear power.

Hundreds of thousands were forcibly resettled.

At that time Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union. 

Ukraine conflict: air alert in Kiev - people should be in air raid shelters

An air alert has been sounded in the Ukrainian capital.

On Thursday afternoon, the administration called on all citizens to get to safety in air raid shelters if possible.

Kiev has about 2.8 million inhabitants, the entire Ukraine 45 million.

In the morning, the air raid sirens could already be heard as a test.

In Ukraine, martial law has been in force nationwide since 5:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. CET) by decree of President Volodymyr Zelenskyj*, initially for 30 days.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko* imposed a curfew.

According to the country's army, there is fierce fighting with Russian troops for a military base near Kiev.

As the Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valeriy Zalushny announced on Facebook, there was fighting over the Hostomel military airport in the north of the capital.

Combat helicopters were also apparently deployed in the area.

In this photo released by the press service of the Police Department of Ukraine, Russian military helicopters appear to be flying over the outskirts of Kiev as smoke billows over houses.

The Ukraine conflict escalates.

© Uncredited/Ukrainian Police Department Press Service via AP/dpa

Ukraine conflict: official reports of deaths

Russian President Vladimir Putin* had ordered the invasion of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions during the night.

At noon, the authorities in Ukraine reported Russian attacks from different directions.

By 12 p.m. (CET), Russia had carried out more than 30 attacks with aircraft, artillery and cruise missiles “on Ukrainian civilian and military infrastructure”, the General Staff said.

There are official reports of deaths on both sides.

At least 18 people died in a rocket attack in the Odessa region.

According to the Ukrainian General Staff, "nearly 50 Russian soldiers were killed in the Shchastya area."