Russia-Ukraine crisis live news: international outcry as Putin launches ‘full-scale invasion’

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LIVE – Updated at 10:26

Latest updates: explosions heard in cities across Ukraine after Vladimir Putin announces operation to ‘demilitarise’ neighbouring country.

10:26

Russia’s ambassador to Rome, Sergey Razov, was summoned by Italy’s foreign ministry secretary general, Ettore Francesco Sequi, on Thursday morning, reports Angela Giuffrida from the Italian capital.

Sequi told Razov that the Italian government strongly condemns “the very serious, unjustified and unprovoked attack by Moscow against Ukraine, which constitutes a clear violation of international law”.

All parties in prime minister Mario Draghi’s broad coalition government were unanimous in their condemnation of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Enrico Letta, leader of the centre-left Democratic party, said:

Italy must condemn without ambiguity the attack against Ukraine and, together with our allies, react to this unprecedented challenge to the principles of freedom and democracy in Europe.

Matteo Salvini, the leader of the far-right League who in 2019 was praised by Putin for being “welcoming” to Russia, wrote on social media:

A horrible Thursday, images we never wanted to see again, let’s hope it ends soon and reason returns to prevail.

He added that the League strongly condemns any form of military aggression and supported Draghi for a common response among allies, while urging coalition partners not to use the tragedy as an excuse for “internal quarrels”.

Salvini has previously described the Russian president as one of the greatest statesmen alive” and called sanctions against Russia “idiotic”.

10:25 Peter Beaumont

Peter Beaumont in Lviv, western Ukraine, writes:

On the streets of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv the queues on Thursday morning for banks, pharmacies and supermarkets snaked around the block.

On the cobbled streets, there were two classes of people: those glued to the news of the Russian invasion on their phones, and those talking about it.

Outside the Kredo Bank on Schevchenka Avenue, in the centre of the city this sits just 60 kilometres from the Polish border, one couple were discussing how much the price of bread would be in a day’s time, while two younger men talked about the how to find thermal imaging equipment for the country’s troops.

In recent weeks Lviv has seemed one of the country’s safer places. Western embassies concerned about the possibility of a Russian invasion relocated here.

But the morning air raid sirens and the news of Russian strikes in Lutsk to the north and Ivano-Frankivsk to the south have punctured that illusion.

One of those glued to his phone was Ivan Taibov, aged 27, a sailor from Odessa in Ukraine’s south west. He displays a screen showing video of smoke rising from Odessa. “It’s my city. They’re calling for people to come to it’s defence,” he explained. “I’ve been visiting Lviv. Now I’m trying to see if it is possible to get back to Odessa because there will be a fight.”

For Tanya Hrunyk, a 43-year-old economist waiting in one of the bank queues, the question is whether to stay in Lviv and for how long. “I haven’t made up my mind yet. I have family in the country where I could go and stay. I’ll go if the authorities call for an evacuation. Until then I’m not sure.”

Asked what she made of Vladimir Putin’s reasons for attacking on her country she replied sharply: “He’s a crazy man. He’s mentally ill. Our task is to stay calm and united.”

For some, the military offensive that was launched on Thursday morning, caught them far from home and wondering what the Russian offensive augurs for other neighbouring countries.

Some are concerned that this will not be a short crisis.

Weighed down with plastic bags, bartender Ivan Borislavsky had been buying baby formula to last four months for his infant and the baby his partner is expecting in a month.

“I’m worried things will be in short supply and the prices will go up.” Asked by the Guardian if he was thinking of leaving he replied: “I need to stay. I need to fight for my wife and children and my land.”

10:20

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday called on all citizens who were ready to defend the country from Russian forces to come forward, saying Kyiv would issue weapons to everyone who wants them, Reuters reports.

Zelenskiy also urged Russians to come out and protest against the war.

Separately Ukraine’s foreign ministry has said “the situation is under control” and that Russian troops are suffering losses.

🇺🇦 Defence Forces, using the right for self-defence according to Article 51 of the @UN Charter, are countering with dignity the enemy’s attempts to break the state border. The situation is under control. 🇷🇺 troops are suffering losses. #StopRussianAggression #RussiaInvadedUkraine— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) February 24, 2022

And here is a tweet from a Ukrainian diplomat about the pain the invasion will inflict on ordinary people.

My 80-yr-old mother-in-law is here in Kyiv. She still doesn’t know. She is ethic Russian. Born and raised in Kursk. Can’t imagine how to break it to her. Her first motherland is attacking her second one. #PrayingForUkraine #StandWithUkraine— olexander scherba🇺🇦 (@olex_scherba) February 24, 2022

10:16 Oksana Grytsenko

Oksana Grytsenko has been speaking to people in the south and east of Ukraine. Some refused to give their surnames for fear of reprisals.

Mariupol

Yulia, a local journalist, says she heard the sounds of an explosion from the eastern part of the city, which is located close to Russian-occupied territory. “There was shelling there. A shell hit a residential house and it was burning,” she said. Yulia and her young son are based in the Primorsky district in the southwest of the city and she said it’s quiet there. “We’ve collected our stuff and are ready to run to a bomb shelter if necessary,” she said.

She added she’s worrying because she can’t reach her mother, who lives in the eastern part of the city, by phone. “I hope it’s just because her phone battery has run out.”

Odessa

Maxim Holenko, a theater director, said he’s heading to his theatre for a meeting with his colleagues to decide how to live under martial law. “Performances have been canceled for the time being,” he said. He said it’s quiet in the city center but there are sounds of shelling from the south of the city. There were rumors about Russian airborne forces landing in the city, but they turned out to be fake. “But I’ve seen the news about explosions in Podolsk [a city in the northern part of Odessa Oblast]. They were reportedly shelled from Transnistria,” he said. He sent a video of black smoke resulting from shelling in Odesa filmed by an actor from his theatre.

Kherson Oblast

A column of Russian tanks, APCs, military trucks, and multiple rocket launches are moving to the north of Kherson Oblast in direction of Nova Kakhovka. Russian troops are passing Ukrainian villages without stopping there, a local resident told the Guardian.

“We are just sitting near our houses,” said Svitlana, a resident of the town of Chaplynka in Kherson Oblast. “The shops are closed, nothing is working.” She added that there were sounds of shelling in the morning, but now it’s quiet.

10:04 Aubrey Allegretti

The British opposition leader Keir Starmer has said “the influence of Russian money must be extricated from the UK”, as he cancelled a planned speech on the economy following the developments in Ukraine, writes Aubrey Allegretti from Westminster.

The Labour leader said Vladimir Putin’s order to send in troops “will have horrendous and tragic consequences that will echo throughout the world and throughout history”.

All those who believe in the triumph of democracy over dictatorship, good over evil, freedom over the jackboot of tyranny must now support the Ukrainian people.

After the government was criticised for what were derided as weak sanctions announced by Boris Johnson on Tuesday, Starmer urged the prime minister to “match our rhetoric with action”.

The hardest possible sanctions must be taken against all those linked to Putin.
The influence of Russian money must be extricated from the UK. And those who have for too long turned a blind eye to Russia’s actions must reckon with their own consciences.

Johnson is expected to give an update following the COBR meeting, as well as make a statement to the Commons this morning where Starmer will respond.

10:00

Emmanuel Macron has said he firmly condemned Russia’s decision to go to war in Ukraine and demanded an immediate end to military operations, writes Angelique Chrisafis in Paris.

Macron said France stood by Ukrainians and would work with its partners and allies to stop the war. The French president spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy on his mobile at 8am this morning and is currently holding an emergency defence meeting at the Elysée with the prime minister, the defence minister and top members of cabinet.

La France condamne fermement la décision de la Russie de faire la guerre à l’Ukraine. La Russie doit mettre immédiatement fin à ses opérations militaires.— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 24, 2022

09:59 Dan Sabbagh

The Guardian’s defence and security editor, Dan Sabbagh, has been assessing Russia and Ukraine’s military forces and what western analysts believe Vladimir Putin wants from his all-out invasion.

Here is his report :

Russia has amassed more than 150,000 combat troops on the borders of Ukraine, with another 34,000 lightly armed separatist forces in the pro-Russian self-proclaimed republics in Donetsk and Luhansk. That amounts to an estimated two-thirds of Russia’s total ground forces. Half of Moscow’s air force is also deployed in the region.
The invasion of Ukraine is set to be the biggest war seen in the world since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, in which around 175,000 troops were deployed; and western military leaders have warned could lead to the most serious fighting in Europe since the end of the second world war.
Western defence sources have said they expect Russia to invade on “multiple axes” of attack – but the key focus is expected to be the capital, Kyiv, which has a population of around 3 million. They believe the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, wants to engage in “regime change” in Kyiv, encircling the city with its military and hoping to oust the president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, without engaging in urban warfare.
Britain has warned that Russia’s FSB spy agency has been tasked with delivering Kyiv and Ukraine’s other major cities, while the US has gone further and claimed that Russian officials have drawn up lists of Ukrainian figures to round up in areas where its military has attained control. Ukraine has a regular army that numbers 125,600 according to the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), but has mobilised its reserves of at least 36,000. Many others in the country have said they are willing to fight, and there are around 300,000 people who have had military experience of fighting in the east, some of whom may join an armed resistance.
Kyiv’s military is largely concentrated in the east of the country, near the occupied Donbas region, and western analysts believe a key goal of early Russian operations will be to try and degrade Ukraine’s fighting forces. Russia also has significant advantages in air power: its total air force has 1,172 combat aircraft against Ukraine’s 124, according to the IISS. Russia’s navy is dominant in the northern Black Sea where there are concerns that the Kremlin may try to launch a sea-based attack on Odessa.
Although Ukraine has sought to modernise its military over the past year, receiving Javelin anti-tank missiles from the US, shorter range anti-tank weapons from the UK, and a small number of TB2 drones from Turkey, the bulk of its army and equipment are older versions of equipment whose designs date back to the Soviet era and will be familiar to Russian generals. There will be no direct military support from Nato as Ukraine is not a member of the military alliance.

09:49

Vladimir Putin will not be easily swayed by western sanctions or condemnation, suggests the Moscow-based political analyst Alexander Baunov.

Short THREAD 1/3 There’s one striking difference between 2014 & now. In 2014 it was crucial to the Kremlin to show popular support for the takeover of Crimea, hence the mass demos, concerts, & open letters from celebrities. State employees & students were mobilized or paid.— Alexander Baunov (@baunov) February 24, 2022

2/3 This time, there’s nothing of the sort. Putin seems totally indifferent to approval on the street. He’s acting not like a politician in need of public support, but like a figure from national history books who cares only about the approval of future historians and readers.— Alexander Baunov (@baunov) February 24, 2022

Rouble falls to all-time low

09:17

The Russian central bank will step into the market to support the rouble, it said on Thursday, as the currency crashed to an all-time low, Reuters reports.

Moscow correspondent Pjotr Sauer writes that cash exchange points in the Russian capital have stopped trading roubles for dollars and euros. At a popular exchange point on the Tverskaya street the office manager said that they stopped converting roubles “two hours ago” as the Russian currency further spirals.

Here are the key points on the rouble’s slide from Reuters:

Russia’s currency, bonds and stocks all tanked, prompting the central bank to announce its first foreign exchange intervention designed to shore up financial stability since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine.
The rouble skidded to an all-time low of 89.60 against the dollar and neared a crucial threshold of 100 versus the euro. It was around 70 to the dollar and 81 to the euro before the recent round of geopolitical tensions between Moscow and the West started escalating in October.

“To stabilise the situation on the financial market, the Bank of Russia decided to start interventions on the currency market,” the bank said on Thursday. The move helped the rouble to slightly narrow losses.

09:11

Lithuania’s president, Gitanes Nausėda, is to ask Nato for security consultations, reports Reuters.

Lithuania wants to invoke the defence alliance’s article 4, which allows any Nato country to ask for talks on an issue of concern, “especially related to the security of a member country”. The article has been invoked several times since Nato was founded in 1949.

Only a united&strong response by the democratic West can stop #Russia. Never before have we been so strong& so well prepared to face external challenges together with our Allies. The future of entire #Europe may depend on how we react in the coming hours&days. #StandWithUkraine🇺🇦— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) February 24, 2022

Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, is due to meet the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in Brussels this morning. Stoltenberg will then hold an emergency press conference at Nato’s headquarters.

09:10

From Reuters:

ADVISER IN UKRAINE PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE SAYS SITUATION UNDER CONTROL, THERE WILL BE NO BLITZKRIEG

08:59 Sam Jones

In a strongly worded statement, the Spanish government has called Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine “a totally unjustified aggression of unprecedented seriousness and a flagrant violation of international law that risks global security and stability”, writes Sam Jones in Madrid.

It said King Felipe would preside over a meeting of the national security council at midday on Thursday. It added:

We demand an immediate cease to hostilities before the number of victims rises, and for the return of troops to the internationally recognised Russian Federation territory.
In these most difficult hours, we also want to reiterate our support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and to show our solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

The government said Spain was working with its EU partners and Nato allies to come up with a response to match “the seriousness of the illegal conduct of the Russian Federation”.

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is due to attend the emergency EU summit in Brussels this evening.

08:58 Lisa O’Carroll

Ukraine’s ambassador to Ireland, Larysa Gerasko, held back tears this morning telling RTE she “cannot believe this is happening in the 21st century”, reports Ireland correspondent Lisa O’Carroll.

“My thoughts are with my people, with my family,” she said. She condemned the “cynical” attack of Russia on her country, which she said started just as the Russian federation was making its speech to an emergency UN security council.

“Putin is testing Ukraine and the security architecture of the whole world,” she said.

Gerakso told RTE:

The devastating and tough sanctions have to be imposed now immediately. Millions of lives are at stake now, life of Ukrainians, the democratic world has to isolate Russia by all means. And Ukraine needs financial support and humanitarian assistance, and of course military.

The foreign minister, Simon Coveney, told RTE that EU diplomats, including the two Irish representatives, had moved to a safe place in Kyiv and would be meeting in the next half hour.

08:57 Pjotr Sauer

Red Square is relatively empty this morning with only the occasional local tourist taking photos, reports Pjotr Sauer in Moscow.

There is a noticeable police presence, likely to prevent any potential demonstrations and pickets.

“We just arrived to Moscow last night for a weekend holiday and then saw the shocking news,” a visitor from Irkutsk said.© Provided by The Guardian Russian honour guards attend the changing of guards ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin Wall in downtown Moscow Photograph: Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images

08:56

From Reuters:

An adviser in the Ukraine president’s office says there is a massive Russian artillery bombardment of infrastructure.

He says Ukrainian armed forces are fighting hard.

08:53

Reports of casualties are already starting to come in.

Ukraine’s interior ministry adviser says shelling across Ukraine has killed one and wounded another in Brovary in the Kyiv region.

Ukraine’s military added that two Russian tanks and several trucks in eastern Ukraine were seen while Russia is moving military equipment across from annexed Crimea.

Meanwhile, Russian-backed separatists say they now control two towns in the Luhansk region of Ukraine, according to a report from RIA new agency.

This report was confirmed by Ukraine police who later said two villages in Luhansk region seized.

Russia’s defence ministry said it has taken out military infrastructure at Ukrainian air bases and degraded Ukraine’s air defences, Russian news agencies reported.

The Russian ministry denied reports that one of its aircraft had been downed over Ukraine. Ukraine’s military said earlier that five Russian planes and one helicopter had been shot down over its Luhansk region.

08:52 Helen Davidson

China’s embassy in Ukraine is warning its citizens there to take cover as the situation has “deteriorated sharply”, according to a post on its WeChat page. It urges Chinese citizens and Chinese-funded enterprises to take shelter, and stay indoors away from glass windows, and to keep in touch with Chinese associations and representatives in the country. Those traveling by car should make sure they are able to refuel, and if they get stuck the embassy is suggesting they affix a Chinese flag to their car.

The reason for this isn’t totally clear. China has not so far ordered or suggested its citizens evacuate from Ukraine, as other governments have done in recent days and weeks. China’s government and President Xi Jinping have been forging closer ties with Russia and Putin in recent years, and there is a lot of speculation over exactly how China will handle the invasion. We reported a little earlier today that China’s ministry of foreign affairs is so far saving its condemnation for the US and allies, accusing them of fanning tensions and inciting war, while at the same time rejecting the characterisation of Russia’s move today as an “invasion”.

08:51 Andrew Roth

Russian state media have spent the morning praising the military operation in Ukraine, calling it a military intervention in Donbas, while largely ignoring missile strikes on infrastructure and some cities throughout the country, writes Andrew Roth from Moscow.

As Russian tanks crossed the borders into Ukraine from points north, east, and south of Kyiv, Rossiya-24, the 24-hour news channel, displayed a chyron reading: “Ukrainian neo-nationalists are waiting for the right moment to strike against Russia.”

Live reports were aired from cities in Donetsk and Luhansk, where correspondents were mainly focused on local battles for cities rather than the broader Russian invasion taking place across the country.

For Russians who are watching the news, they might think this is largely focused in the areas where fighting has been taking place for eight years. While many ordinary Russians were expressing shock at the attack, some reporters and managers at state-run channels were clearly enjoying the moment.

A reporter at one state media agency told the Guardian: “Unfortunately all I’ve heard this morning is pride.”

Margarita Simonyan, the newly sanctioned head of RT, wrote in a tweet: “This is a standard parade rehearsal,” she wrote. “Except this year we have decided to hold the parade in Kyiv.”

Video: Defence Secretary urges Europe ‘do not hesitate’ in deterring Putin (PA Media)PauseCurrent Time 0:11/Duration 0:41Loaded: 100.00%Unmute0LQCaptionsFullscreenDefence Secretary urges Europe ‘do not hesitate’ in deterring PutinClick to expand

08:50

Italy’s prime minister, Mario Draghi, has joined the condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, writes Angela Giuffrida in Rome.

Draghi said:

The Italian government condemns Russia’s attack on Ukraine. It is unjustified and unjustifiable. Italy is close to the Ukrainian people and institutions in this dramatic moment. We are working with European and Nato allies to respond immediately, with unity and determination.

Italy had been one of the EU countries, along with France and Germany, arguing for a gradual approach to sanctions against Russia. But all calculations have been upended by the invasion. EU leaders are to discuss imposing “massive and severe consequences on Russia for its action” at an emergency summit on Thursday evening.

As this tweet from a German diplomat shows, preparations are already underway.

🔴 #Ukraine: EU Ambassadors have just started their emergency meeting.
They will prepare the extraordinary European Council meeting tonight.#EUCO #COREPER II #WeStandWithUkraine 🇪🇺🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/r33MQswRr5— Sebastian Fischer (@SFischer_EU) February 24, 2022

08:36

A report by Helen Davidson on China’s early response:

The invasion is the first question asked, but spokeswoman Hua Chunying takes issue with that term, and instead says the situation has a “complex historical background”.

Hua again accused the US and others of fanning tensions and inciting war, saying China’s approach so far had been responsible. “China again calls for all sides to not close the doors on peace and stay committed to dialogue and negotiation,” she said.

At Chinese Foreign Ministry press conference the spokesperson refused to accept it is an invasion underway in Ukraine. And did not answer my question on when President Xi plans to call his close friend President Putin to appeal for calm. She said China “appeals for restraint “ https://t.co/VBrEGkKfCJ— Debi Edward (@debiedwarditv) February 24, 2022

The language largely repeated the message of yesterday’s briefing in which Hua also expressed hope that all sides could be “cool-headed and rational” and commit to a peaceful resolution. Chinese state media is today promoting one of her more fiery quotes from that presser, again attributing more hostility and blame over the crisis to the US than to Russia:

When the US drove five waves of Nato expansion eastward all the way to Russia’s doorstep and deployed advanced offensive strategic weapons in breach of its assurances to Russia, did it ever think about the consequences of pushing a big country to the wall?

Among China watchers, several have suggested this reasoning could one day be used in the event Beijing decides to move on Taiwan – an increasingly EU-friendly government that makes big weapons purchases from the US.© Provided by The Guardian Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying answers questions during the daily press conference at the Foreign Ministry in Beijing Photograph: Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images

UK vows ‘unprecedented’ sanctions to punish Russia’s ‘appalling decision’

08:35 Aubrey Allegretti

A UK foreign office minister has promised “unprecedented” sanctions to punish Russia’s “appalling decision” to invade Ukraine, writes Aubrey Allegretti in London.

As a Cobra meeting chaired by Boris Johnson got underway, the foreign office minister James Cleverly promised an “unprecedented” set of sanctions would be imposed by the UK to punish Russia for the “appalling decision” to invade Ukraine.

In a direct attack on President Vladimir Putin, Cleverly accused him of “recreating some kind of tsarist, expansionist Russia” and being driven by ego as well as a “foolish attempt to write himself into the history books”.

Ukrainians will be “ferocious in the defence of homelands”, said Cleverly, but admitted that Nato could not provide troops or offensive weapons to help them fight back if troops advance toward Kyiv.

Asked if British intelligence suggested Putin was planning to try to seize control of the Ukrainian capital, Cleverly told Sky News: “We do, of course, fear that he might try and do something as reckless as that.”

Cleverly said Moscow had used lies and false flag operations to “justify the unjustifiable”.

He defended the nearly £2m of Russian-linked money taken in donations by the Conservative party since Johnson became prime minister. Cleverly – a former party chairman – insisted the sources of the cash were “certainly not Putin’s buddies”. When pressed on how he knew, he said: “Because we do our due diligence.”

He added: “I don’t think this attacking Ukraine has anything to do with London’s role as a Financial Services Centre.”© Provided by The Guardian The foreign secretary, Liz Truss, and Tim Barrow (second left), the political director at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, arrive in Downing Street, London, for a Cobra meeting called by the prime minister to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

08:32

Spain and Portugal have condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine, writes Sam Jones in Madrid.

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, tweeted: ‘The government of Spain condemns Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and expresses its solidarity with the Ukrainian government and its people. I remain in close contact with our partners and allies in the European Union and Nato to coordinate our response.”

Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, said he “vehemently condemned” Russia’s attack on Ukraine, adding: “My thoughts are with the Ukrainian people in the face of this unjustified and lamentable attack.”

Both leaders are due at an emergency EU summit in Brussels on Thursday evening, a meeting called before the invasion began to discuss options for holding Russia to account.

08:31 Helena Smith

The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has called an urgent meeting of the nation’s foreign and defence council, to discuss the invasion and how best to protect ethnic Greeks living in Ukraine, writes Helena Smith in Athens.

The government’s supreme policy-making body, Kysea, is expected to focus on Athens’ plans to support the 120,000-strong community in the east of the country. Most of the diaspora reside in the coastal city of Mariupol, which may well become a battle front as the full-scale invasion develops.

The centre right government has vowed to protect the community amid speculation that Hellenic navy ships could be dispatched to evacuate ethnic Greeks.

After a similar Kysea meeting earlier this week Mitsotakis said:

Our country has an additional reason for concern when following developments, the protection and support of ethnic Greeks in Ukraine and the very large community in Mariupol which has been present in the region for over 2,000 years.

08:28

The head of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, Norbert Röttgen, has said he now supports sending weapons to Ukraine.

Germany has refused to send weapons to Ukraine, even blocking the release of German origin weapons being transferred from Estonia. Although Röttgen is not part of Germany’s governing coalition, it is a sign of the debate that will surely intensify in Berlin.

I was against arms deliveries in order to keep channels of communication with Moscow open. That’s over for now. What matters now is defence. Whatever #weapons we can provide, we must deliver to #Ukraine.— Norbert Röttgen (@n_roettgen) February 24, 2022

08:23 Daniel Boffey

Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, presidents of the European Commission and Council, have issued a joint statement:

We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprecedented military aggression against Ukraine. By its unprovoked and unjustified military actions, Russia is grossly violating international law and undermining European and global security and stability.
We call on Russia to immediately cease the hostilities, withdraw its military from Ukraine and fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. Such use of force and coercion has no place in the 21st century.”

President Michel of the European Council has urgently convened an extraordinary meeting of the European Council while EU leaders will meet later today to discuss the crisis and further restrictive measures upon Russia.

President von der Leyen will also outline a further sanctions package being finalised by the European Commission and which the Council will swiftly adopt.

We deplore the loss of life and humanitarian suffering. The EU and its Member States are ready to urgently provide humanitarian emergency response. We call on Russia and Russia-backed armed formations to respect international humanitarian law.
The EU stands firmly by Ukraine and its people as they face this unparalleled crisis. The EU will provide further political, financial and humanitarian assistance.
We are coordinating our response with our international partners, including NATO and G7 whose leaders will meet today.”

08:14

Initial reports of casualties: At least eight people have been killed and nine were wounded by the Russian shelling, an adviser to the Ukrainian minister of internal affairs has said, according to Reuters.© Provided by The Guardian People are seen outside the cordoned off area around the remains of a shell in a street in Kyiv Photograph: Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images

07:40 Pjotr Sauer

Pjotr Sauer sends reactions from Moscow’s Arbat Street:

Confusion is felt throughout Moscow this morning. On the Old Arbat, one of Moscow’s busiest pedestrian streets, many expressed shock that Russia had launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine.

“I didn’t think Putin would be willing to go all the way. How can we bomb Ukraine? We have our disagreements, but this is not to a way to solve them,” said Ksenia Fadeeva.

“I am embarrassed for my country. To be honest with you, I am speechless. War is always scary. We don’t want this,” said Nikita Golubev.

“I couldn’t believe the news I read this morning. A war with Ukraine? What are we doing? I feel powerless,” said Tatyana, who asked for her surname not to be published.

The Ukrainian Cultural Center in central Moscow said it was shut today due to the invasion . The Ukrainian administrator, who didn’t want to give his name, said: “We are being bombed as we speak. Of course we are closed! Jesus, what is happening?”

07:36

More on the still unconfirmed Russian ground invasion in the east:

Reuters is citing the Ukrainian border guard as saying separate Russian military columns have crossed the Ukrainian border into Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions.

Putin likely pre-recorded his declaration of war, Russia media report

07:33 Andrew Roth

Editor’s note: there is now scepticism from other reports on this claim. See here.

Russian media have reported that Putin likely pre-recorded his declaration of war as early as Monday. Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta found that the metadata on the video file uploaded to the Kremlin website was created at 7pm on February 21, nearly three days before Putin announced the beginning of his military operation on Thursday morning.

Речь Путина об объявлении войны была записана еще вечером 21 февраля, в понедельник. Убедиться в этом можно, скачав видео с сайта Кремля и проверив его свойства. pic.twitter.com/ZRwgdwB8ni— Новая Газета (@novaya_gazeta) February 24, 2022

The similarities between Putin’s appearance today and earlier this week had already raised questions about whether he filmed his declaration of war in advance. He is wearing the same tie and seated at the same desk when he announced his recognition of the Russian-controlled territories on Monday, and when he announced the start of his military operation on Thursday.

Evidence, incl metadata, suggests Putin’s war speech recorded already three days in advance. So many people must have known what was going to happen. https://t.co/p0peV1ivPG— Martin Kragh (@MartinKragh1) February 24, 2022

The Kremlin and its allies have already been caught for pre-recording other events that were supposedly broadcast live, like the meeting of the Kremlin’s Security Council or announcements of evacuations from Donetsk and Luhansk territories. But if true, the pre-recording of Putin’s declaration of war would further suggest that the Kremlin never took the diplomatic path seriously and was always preparing to launch an invasion of Ukraine.

07:32 Andrew Roth

On the confusion around whether Putin may have recorded his declaration of war message days ago, more details here from Moscow correspondent, Andrew Roth:

Other reports suggest that Novaya Gazeta may have been incorrect in their analysis of the video of Putin’s speech. The newspaper reported that he filmed the speech three days ago, according to metadata.

But Aric Toler of the Bellingcat investigative group and other Russian journalists have noted that it’s likely that Novaya Gazeta scraped the data from the wrong file. The video uploaded to the Kremlin website shows that the file was created late Wednesday evening.

Apparently the video was filmed today, so looks like Novaya just scraped the wrong video (I did the same thing at first when I looked at the main video on the https://t.co/aPpiSuqeTg page too): https://t.co/iFylJZSPUu— Aric Toler (@AricToler) February 24, 2022

07:24 Daniel Boffey

France’s president Emmanuel Macron, who had made a last-ditch but ill-fated effort to broker peace through a summit between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, said:

France strongly condemns Russia’s decision to wage war on Ukraine. Russia must end its military operations immediately. France stands in solidarity with Ukraine. It stands with the Ukrainians and works with its partners and allies to end the war.

07:21 Luke Harding

Guardian reporter Luke Harding has this audio dispatch from Kyiv this morning:

Ukraine says Russia moving military equipment into the country’s south east

07:17

Ukraine has accused Russia of moving military equipment into the country from annexed Crimea, according to Reuters.

07:13

A Reuters photographer has taken photos of tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) heading to the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

It is not immediately clear if they are tanks from Russia.© Provided by The Guardian Tanks move into the city, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Mariupol. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters

07:03© Provided by The Guardian Police officers inspect the remains of a missile that fell in the street, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters© Provided by The Guardian Fire is seen coming out of a military installation near the airport, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Mariupol. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters© Provided by The Guardian Tanks move into the city, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Mariupol. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters

Oil price spikes 5% amid fears conflict will fuel inflation

06:56 Martin Farrer

The cost of oil has soared past $100 a barrel in the wake of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, fuelling fears about more inflationary pressures spreading through the global economy.

The attack also triggered heavy selling in stock markets in Asia, with similar large falls of more than 2% expected in London, Europe and the US today.

Brace for massive losses at the European Open:
Asia down most in 12 months
Yen up against all
US futures -2.0%
Euro Stoxx futures -3.7%
German Dax futures -3.8%
Oil at 101-102#Ukraine https://t.co/EpcKOql2Qh pic.twitter.com/y9F9yow0Jr— David Ingles (@DavidInglesTV) February 24, 2022

The benchmark Brent crude has risen 5.11% so far on Thursday and traders are concerned that the rising price of other key industrial commodities such as nickel will add to acute inflationary woes in western economies.

Kyle Rodda of IG Markets in Melbourne said the spike could be part of a pincer movement of prices that force the US Federal Reserve and other central banks to rais einterest rates into the teeth of inflation. He said:

A civil war would be both a huge growth shock to the European – and global economy – and inflation shock. That’s a dangerous mix, because the supply disruptions in commodity prices would drive costs higher, and exacerbate the inflation central banks are already struggling to contain.
That means despite, this the Fed – and others – would be unable to buffet the shock, and would potentially have to tighten policy – a very negative scenario for risk assets.

The Russian rouble dropped 5.4% earlier to hit a record low against the euro and its lowest since 2016 against the US dollar. Trade in the currency was later suspended.

06:53 Andrew Roth

Video footage indicates that Russian rockets have hit population centres in major Ukrainian cities despite claims by the Russian military that it is only targeting military infrastructure.

Images from the city of Kharkiv showed what appeared to be the tail section of a rocket fired from a Smerch heavy multiple rocket launcher. The rocket’s payload failed to explode on impact and it was left sticking out of the pavement in the city close to an Orthodox church.

CIT, an open-source research group, confirmed that the video was shot in Kharkiv and that the tali section resembled a Smerch rocket. The use of those rockets against population centres is a “war crime,” the group claims.

Мы проверили: видео действительно снято в Харькове, виден хвост ракетной части реактивного снаряда РСЗО «Смерч».
Ракетная система залпового огня (РСЗО) — неизбирательное оружие. Удары по населённым пунктам с применением такого оружия — военное преступление pic.twitter.com/ks0r99S6EX— CIT (@CITeam_ru) February 24, 2022

Rob Lee, a former marine and senior researcher at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said it was unlikely that the rocket would be a precision-guided munition, calling it an “ominous sign”.

An important thing to note: this rocket is almost certainly not a precision-guided munition (PGM). That likely means Russia is already launching non-PGMs into cities. An ominous sign. https://t.co/jYPbiL2EZX— Rob Lee (@RALee85) February 24, 2022

Ukraine introduces martial law in face of ‘full-scale invasion’

06:33

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy made an urgent national address to the nation in the wake of the Russian declaration of its “special military operation” this morning.

In a brief video address, Zelenskiy said Russia has carried out missile strikes on Ukraine infrastructure and on Ukrainian border guards with explosions being heard in many cities across the country. He has introduced martial law.

❗️ Звернення Президента Володимира Зеленського pic.twitter.com/oQ1bsB6Ow8— Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) February 24, 2022

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter

Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 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.”

UN security briefing held as war broke

06:31 Julian Borger

In case you missed the United Nations emergency security briefing earlier, the Guardian’s Julian Borger has compiled a rundown.

Vladimir Putin delivered his speech while an emergency session of the UN security council was underway. It will go down as one of the most surreal sessions the chamber has ever witnessed, as the very war it was supposed to prevent, broke out while it was sitting.

The secretary general, Antonio Guterres, was the first to speak, and at that time, Putin’s intentions were not entirely clear. But Guterres pointed to the reports of troops moving into position, and did something notable and rare for a UN secretary general: he publicly called out the head of a security council permanent member.

“If indeed an operation is being prepared, I have only one thing to say, from the bottom of my heart,” Guterres said. “President Putin – stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people have already died.”

By the time it was time for the Russian permanent representative, Vasily Nebenzya, to speak, Putin had given his address, and there was no more mystery. Peace was not to be given a chance, after all. Nebenzya, who had spent weeks deriding western states for their “hysterical” warnings of impending invasion, pivoted to argue it was not actually a war that was getting underway, but a “special military operation” to protect the people of the Donbas.

The Ukrainian ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, had been waiting for his turn to speak while receiving constant updates from Kyiv. When his time came, he had to dispense with his prepared speech because, he said, “most of it is already useless”. Instead he held up a copy of the UN Charter, a small sky blue booklet, and read the clause that said UN membership was open to all peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the charter.

“Russia is not able to carry out any of those obligations,” Kyslytsya declared.

He challenged Nebenzya to deny that Ukraine was under attack.

“You have a smartphone,” he said, taunting the Russian to check with his boss, the foreign minister, on what was really going on. “You can call Lavrov right now. We can make a pause to let you go out and call him.” Nebenzya declined.

“I have already said all I know at this point,” he said. “Waking up Minister Lavrov at this time is not something I plan to do.”

An hour or so into the meeting, the multiplying reports of bombardment of Ukrainian cities had reached the chamber, and if the futility of the council’s calls for peace and dialogue had not been clear before, they were now agonisingly obvious.

Some ambassadors demanded to speak for a second time to express their sense of betrayal.

“At the exact time as we were gathered in the council seeking peace, Putin delivered a message of war in total disdain for the responsibility of this council,” the US permanent representative, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said. “This is a grave emergency.”

Her British counterpart, Barbara Woodward declared it “a grave day for Ukraine and for the principles of the United Nations.” Kyslytsya himself was trembling with emotion. He stared at Nebenzya and demanded the Russian relinquish his duties as chair of the council.

“There is no purgatory for war criminals,” he warned him. “They go straight to hell.”

At that point, Nebenzya quickly closed the meeting, claiming that Russia’s aggression was not directed at the Ukrainian people, but “against the junta that is in power in Kiev”. Then he adjourned and left. A security council that had begun, just about, in peacetime, had broken up in a time of war, and perhaps at the start of a major conflict.

06:26

A quick tweet here from Ukraine’s president Zelenskiy who earlier made an urgent national address introduced martial law and urged people to remain calm.

Talked to @POTUS, @OlafScholz, @eucopresident, @AndrzejDuda, @BorisJohnson. Urge to stop Putin, war against 🇺🇦 & the world immediately! Building an anti-Putin coalition. Immediate sanctions, defense & financial support to 🇺🇦! Close the airspace! The world must force 🇷🇺 into peace— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 24, 2022

06:23

I’m Samantha Lock and welcome to our rolling coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, which has escalated in recent hours with the start of a Russian attack on its neighbour.

Here are the main developments:

Russia has launched a military attack on Ukraine after president Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a “special military operation” to “demilitarise and denazify” the neighbouring country.
Putin’s justified the attack by claiming that “a hostile anti-Russia is being created on our historic lands”. His remarks came in a televised address at around 2.30am GMT – as an emergency meeting of the UN security council was under way in New York to avert conflict. He also vowed “consequences greater than any you have faced in history” if there was any attempt to interfere.
Explosions were heard and reported in many cities and military locations around Ukraine shortly afterwards at around 5am Ukraine time (3am GMT).
Russian troops have landed in Odessa while others are crossing the border into Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials said, in what appeared to be a broad attack across the country.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the nation in a TV address on Thursday morning that Russia has carried out missile strikes on infrastructure and border guards.
Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia had launched “a full-scale invasion” of his country. “Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes. This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win,” he said.
Joe Biden issued a written statement saying that “the prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces”.
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres made a direct plea to Russian present Putin, saying: “In the name of humanity bring your troops back to Russia.”
The British ambassador to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons, has said that a “wholly unprovoked” attack on Ukraine is under way.
Stock markets in Asia Pacific plunged after the hostilities broke out and heavy losses are expected in Europe and the US later. Safe havens such as gold spiked, while Brent crude oil rose over $100 for the first time since 2014.
The two Russian-controlled territories in east Ukraine had earlier sent an official request to Moscow for military aid to “help repel the aggression of the Ukrainian armed forces”.

06:20 Peter Beaumont

We’re beginning to get a picture of what the Russian invasion may be aiming to achieve although with the huge caveat that everything is incredibly chaotic.

CNN has pictures of what appears to be a column of tanks crossing in the area of the Senkivka border crossing with Belarus.

CNN now showing footage of Russian tanks crossing into Ukraine from Belarus. Just surreal. pic.twitter.com/JjsJ468wmR— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 24, 2022

The Ukrainian border guard has said the country has been attacked from the northern border with Belarus and that Belarussian troops appear to be involved in the assault.

If – and again it is a big if – that is what we are seeing then the obvious route south is towards Cherniv which is on the road to Kyiv following the east side of the Dnieper river.

This is not the only axis of attack for Russian forces as far as we can gather. There are also reports of troops crossing further south towards Kharkiv and reports of on going clashes around Lukhansk and Donetsk.

The Russian defence ministry is also saying that Ukraine’s air bases have been neutralised. Bear in mind all of this is on top of air and missile strikes. Even where I’m sitting in Lviv in the far west of Ukraine where a lot of the diplomatic missions have withdrawn to I’m hearing what appears to be intermittent sirens in the distance.

Bear in mind too that we are just three hours into this. This has a long way to go.

Things to be looking out for, I suspect, are whether the Russian forces also make an incursion to the west of the Dnieper river and to the east of Kyiv which will give us a good idea whether Kyiv is one of the main centres of gravity for the invasion.

06:19 Andrew Roth

The Russian military has claimed that all of Ukraine’s aviation bases had been disabled in the barrage of missiles that began the Russian invasion this morning around 5am.

Smoke has been seen rising from near major airfields outside of Kharkiv and other cities in the east. But Russia also appears to have hit airfields in Kherson and as far west as Ivano-Frankivsk, which is nearer to the border with Poland.

It has also indicated that its forces have entered Ukraine, claiming that Ukraine’s border forces “are not putting up any resistance to Russian units.”

Ukraine shoot down five Russian planes, defence ministry says

06:18 Andrew Roth

Ukraine’s defence ministry says it has shot down five Russian planes and one helicopter in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

According to the Joint Forces Command, today, on February 24, 5 planes and a helicopter of the aggressor were shot down.
The Joint Forces give a worthy rebuff to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Military units are in their positions. The enemy is taking losses.
Stay calm and believe in the Ukrainian defenders. Together we will win! Glory To Ukraine!”

The Russian military has denied that one of its planes was shot down in fighting over Ukraine this morning.

Air raid sirens in Kyiv as residents flee

06:16

Reports of explosions have been filtering in from Kyiv, as well as reports of air raid sirens and rocket attacks on Ukrainian fighter jets at an airport outside the city.

Russian forces fired missiles at several Ukrainian cities and landed troops on its south coast on Thursday, officials and local media report, after Russian president Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a “special military operation” in the east.© Provided by The Guardian Heavy traffic heading out of Kyiv on Thursday morning. Photograph: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Residents could be seen fleeing the city in buses and cars, and Kyiv’s metro system was busy with people carrying suitcases.© Provided by The Guardian People board a bus at the Vydubytchi bus station in Kyiv on Thursday. Photograph: Olga Shylenko/AFP/Getty Images

Guardian reporter Luke Harding who is based in Kyiv said explosions have been reported across the country, including in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Dnipro, Odessa, Slavayansk and Kramatorsk.

Two big blasts were reported being heard from the city of Mariupol one after another in an easterly direction, according to a Reuters witness.© Provided by The Guardian People, some carrying bags and suitcases, walk at a metro station in Kyiv early on 24 February after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine. Photograph: Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images

Ukraine’s defence minister said Russia began intense shelling of Ukrainian military units in the east, as well as military control centres and airfields.

A photo provided by the Ukrainian President’s office appeared to show an explosion in the country’s capital, Kyiv, early Thursday morning.

06:11 Peter Beaumont

If you have just joined us, here is a helpful run down from the Guardian’s world affairs editor Julian Borger.

06:09 Elias Visontay

Western leaders have decried Russia’s president Vladimir Putin as Russia launches attacks on Ukraine.

Western leaders responded with fury to Russia launching military attacks on Ukrainian cities, and vowed to hold the Kremlin accountable with strengthened sanctions and other measures.

Shortly after reports of explosions near Kyiv broke, US president Joe Biden accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of choosing a “premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering”.

“The prayers of the world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces,” he said.

Read the full story below.

Ukraine border attacked by troops from Russia and Belarus: border guard

06:06

Ukraine’s border service says guards were attacked by Russian troops from Russia and Belarus.

Meanwhile, CNN reports witnessing through a livestream video troops entering Ukraine via Belarus.

According to the outlet, troops atop a column of military vehicles were seen entering Ukraine from a border crossing with Belarus.

VIDEO: @CNN shows CCTV footage of tanks crossing the border from Belarus into Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/WzESae0bQV— Conflict News (@Conflicts) February 24, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko reportedly spoke by phone on Thursday, according to Belarusian state news agency Belta.

“At about 5am today, a telephone conversation took place between the Presidents of Belarus and Russia, during which Vladimir Putin informed his Belarusian counterpart about the situation on the border with Ukraine and in the Donbas,” Belta cited the Belarusian presidential press service as saying.

06:04

Scenes from Kyiv show residents carrying bags and suitcases at a metro station in the city.

Others show quiet streets and queues for cash machines.© Provided by The Guardian People, some carrying bags and suitcases, walk at a metro station in Kyiv early on 24 February after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine. Photograph: Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images

Saint Sophia cathedral in Kyiv, symbol of Ukrainian nationhood. Still standing 8am local time, a few people on streets, queues for cash machines, one cafe amazingly open, mood of fear, shock & quiet defiance pic.twitter.com/izikRLNHrf— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) February 24, 2022
–The Guardian