Putin crosses the line and starts the war on Ukrainian territory
Vladimir Putin took the step and ordered the attack on eastern Ukraine, he announced in a solemn declaration on television. The argument used by the Kremlin leader was to defend pro-Russian separatists established in Lugansk and Donetsk, the two republics over which Putin had decreed recognition of their independence, in the face of military clashes in the area.
Vladimir Putin announced that the intention of the offensive is to "demilitarise" and "denazify" Ukrainian territory, not to occupy the country, and that he defends the right to self-determination of the Ukrainian territories.
"The Donbass People's Republics approached Russia with a request for help. In connection with this I made a decision to carry out a special military operation. Its aim is to protect people who are the targets of abuse, genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years, and for this we will seek to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine and bring to justice those who committed numerous bloody crimes against peaceful people, including Russian nationals," Putin said in a televised speech, alluding to the dispute generated since 2014 when the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia took place.
Following the Russian leader's message, Russian attacks and shelling have followed in up to ten Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kiev, where explosions were heard, as reported by the AFP agency, or the second Ukrainian city of Kharkov, including in the territory of Odessa, on the Black Sea, and in the port city of Mariupol. The Ukrainian emergency services also confirmed that the city of Lviv, in the west of the country, was the target of Russian shelling. According to media reports, Russia announced the destruction of several Ukrainian air defence systems, as also confirmed by Ukrainian official sources.
The Belarusian military assisted Russia during attacks on the Ukrainian state border early this morning, according to the Ukrainian Border Service.
The attacks by Russian troops "with the help of Belarus" have taken place with artillery, heavy equipment and shooting weapons, this institution indicated in a statement published on the social network Facebook.
In addition, tanks have been seen in Kharkov and Odessa, according to various sources such as TVE's correspondent in Kiev; armoured vehicles have entered Ukrainian territory with practically no opposition.
In the face of Russia's appalling action, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski announced that his country would respond firmly and urged its citizens to stay at home. Zelenski rejected Putin's accusations about the threat posed by Ukraine and stressed the Russian president's refusal to engage in dialogue: "I tried to have a phone call with the Russian president, but the result was silence", as reported by Euronews. Ukraine decreed martial law and a state of emergency throughout Ukraine except in the areas with the largest rebel presence in Lugansk and Donetsk. This has meant that Ukrainian citizens are allowed to carry firearms for self-defence and a curfew has been imposed on the country.
"Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under attack. This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will fight back and win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba said on the social networking site Twitter.
So far, there has been no invasion of Ukraine, according to some analysts this step is not yet contemplated, although Ukrainian air defence systems have been disarmed and this would facilitate an infantry entry into Ukrainian territory. In the meantime, measures such as the closure of Ukrainian airspace have taken place.
NATO will consider a response and the EU will introduce tougher sanctions against the Russian country, as indicated by various sources. Ukraine has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council amid fears of an immediate invasion. "I have only one thing to say, from the bottom of my heart. President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine and give peace a chance. Too many people have already died," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. At the UN, Ukraine called on Russia to stop the "war", a military intervention that has so far left 40 people dead and several wounded, according to Ukrainian sources, without specifying whether they are military personnel.
International condemnation of the Russian offensive was swift. US President Joe Biden denounced the "unjustified attack" that will lead to "suffering and loss of life". According to the US president, "Putin chose a premeditated war that will bring catastrophic loss of life and human suffering". "We will coordinate with our NATO allies to ensure a strong and united response to deter any aggression against the Alliance," he said, assuring that "the world will hold Russia accountable". Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned Russia's "reckless and unprovoked attack".
On the other hand, as reported by Reuters and Infobae, Joe Biden will meet with his G7 counterparts in the expectation of strong measures against Russia. These punitive measures do not seem to intimidate Vladimir Putin's Russia, which seems to ignore any threat of sanctions. Indeed, Russia recently signed economic agreements with China that may allow the country to better cope with sanctions and relate to the supply of Russian gas to the Asian giant and the distribution of coal.
The Russian offensive has also had worrying economic repercussions, such as the generalised fall in international stock markets and the stratospheric rise in oil prices. The price of a barrel of crude oil rose above 100 dollars for the first time in more than seven years.
