Russian troops have entered Ukraine across the Crimean border after Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in eastern Russia. Video footage shows military vehicles rolling across Ukrainian border checkpoints this morning (23).
According to foreign media reports, a number of Ukrainian border guards were injured. Explosions have also been reported outside the capital, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Mariupol and Kiev, following Putin’s announcement of a special operation on television this morning.
US President Joe Biden and Boris Johnson have joined forces with other global powers to condemn Russia’s “unprovoked and unjust” attack on Ukraine. In the country, the airport has been temporarily closed and Russia has closed its own airspace around the border to prevent civilian access for the next four months. Long queues were seen along a highway on Thursday morning as Ukrainians tried to flee after the invasion, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on civilians to stay home as long as possible, introducing martial law to all parts of the province. (Watch video)
