Ukraine says capital Kiev hit by missile attack
Ukrainian interior officials said military command centers in Kiev and Kharkov were attacked with cruise and ballistic missiles.
The Ukrainska Pravda newspaper quoted an official from the Ukrainian Interior Ministry as saying today that military command centers in the capital Kiev and the city of Kharkov were hit by a missile attack. The damage and the type of weapon used in the attack are not yet clear.
"The war has begun. When there are airstrikes, they target infrastructure, military targets. I heard three explosions in Kiev, which I understand were strikes on military facilities in the suburbs," Andrey Buzarov, a political expert who works on committees of the Ukrainian Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Reuters.VnExpressToday.
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| An explosion in Kiev, Ukraine, on the morning of February 24. |
ReporterReutersandFox NewsEarlier, a series of explosions similar to artillery fire were heard in the city early in the morning. Several gunshots were also heard in the area around Boryspil airport in the capital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced this morning the launch of a special military operation in Donbass, eastern Ukraine, and called on Ukrainian troops in the region to lay down their weapons.
"The situation forces us to take decisive and immediate actions. The Donbass People's Republic (DPR) has asked Russia for support," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a surprise televised address at 6am (10am Hanoi time).
The Kremlin chief accused Ukraine of staging a "genocide" in the east of the country, as well as NATO's aggressive policy towards Russia.
"For this, we will strive to achieve the goal of demilitarization and defascization of Ukraine, and hold accountable those who committed numerous crimes responsible for the shedding of civilian blood, including Russian citizens," the Russian President stressed.
According to him, Russian forces have no plans to occupy Ukraine but will defend themselves if that is the only option.
The Donbass region, which includes the two provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk, has been a hotbed of fighting since 2014, killing more than 14,000 people, after residents unsuccessfully demanded greater autonomy and organized an armed resistance movement. Putin signed a decree on February 21 recognizing the independence of these two regions.
