Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a military operation in eastern Ukraine in what appeared to be the start of the war in Europe over Russia’s demands for an end to NATO’s eastward expansion.
In the recent developments, Ukraine has claimed the killings of ‘around 50 Russian occupiers,’ reported AFP.
Earlier today, President Joe Biden said the US and its allies will respond in a united and decisive way to “an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces” on Ukraine and vows ‘severe sanctions’ on Russia.
We are covering the Ukraine crisis live, follow updates here:
2:01pm: India embassy in Ukraine says arrangements being made for evacuation
The Indian embassy in Ukraine said on Thursday alternative arrangements were being made to evacuate Indians since the Ukrainian airspace had been closed.
Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation.
1:58pm: Bitcoin dives to lowest in a month after Russia invades Ukraine, Reuters
Bitcoin tumbled to its lowest in a month on Thursday after Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast, sparking a sell-off of riskier assets.
Bitcoin BTC=BTSPslumped as much as 7.9% to $34,324, its lowest since Jan. 24, and was last trading down 5.3%. Smaller coins that typically move in tandem with bitcoin also fell, with ether ETH=BTSP losing as much as 10.8%.
1:52pm: Kyiv says anyone who can hold a weapon can join territorial defence forces, Reuters
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Thursday said that anyone who is ready and able to hold a weapon can join the ranks of the territorial defence forces, as the police said they would distribute weapons to veterans.
Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.
1:16pm: Panic in eastern Ukrainian city, more explosions heard – witness
Panic gripped the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Thursday and many people were trying to leave and explosions could be heard from the city, a witness told Reuters by telephone.
The witness, who asked not to be named, said the windows in his apartment block in the city’s east had been shaking from the blasts.
1:11pm: Ukraine asked Turkey to close Black Sea waterways to Russia -ambassador
Ukraine has asked Turkey to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to Russian ships, Ukraine’s ambassador to Ankara said on Thursday, after Russia launched air and ground assaults on its neighbour.
The request puts NATO member Turkey, which shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good relations with both countries, in a difficult position. Under a 1936 pact, Ankara has control over the straits and can limit warship passages during wartime or if threatened.
1:05pm: China calls for restraint as tensions in Ukraine escalate
Chinese FM spokesperson Hua Chunying said Thursday that China is closely following the latest developments and call on all parties to exercise restraint to avoid the situation getting out of control.
12:54pm: France’s Macron calls on Russia to end military actions in Ukraine, Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned on Thursday Russia’s military actions in Ukraine and called on Moscow to end them immediately.
“France strongly condemns the decision of Russia to start a war with Ukraine. Russia must immediately put an end to its military operations,” wrote Macron on his Twitter account.
Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine conflict: Ukraine claims killed around 50 Russian occupiers
12:52pm: Czech ministry says its embassy in Kyiv is temporarily closed
The Czech Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it had temporarily closed the Czech embassy in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv due to the significant worsening of the security situation after Russia’s invasion.
The ministry said that the Czech consulate in western Ukraine’s Lviv was still operating.
12:50pm: Aluminium price hits record high on Ukraine attack
Aluminium on Thursday hit a record-high price after key producer Russia launched a military attack on neighbouring Ukraine.
The industrial lightweight metal jumped as high as $3,382.50 per tonne, beating the previous peak of $3,380.15 reached in July 2008 during the global financial crisis.
Aluminium, used in a variety of items including drinks cans and aircraft components, later pulled back to $3,372.50 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange.
12:41pm: EU chief puts forward “massive” sanctions on Russia for attacking Ukraine
The European Union’s chief executive said on Thursday she would present “massive” sanctions to the bloc’s national leaders for approval later in the day against Russia for invading Ukraine.
“(Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin is responsible for bringing war back to Europe,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told an emergency announcement after Russia fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast.
12:39pm: West will slap unprecedented sanctions on Russia, Britain says
The West will impose unprecedented sanctions on Russia after President Vladimir Putin authorised an invasion of Ukraine, British junior foreign minister James Cleverly said on Thursday, Reuters reported.
“We will be bringing forward … in close concert with our international friends and allies, an unprecedented sanctions response, coordinated sanctions response, to punish this appalling decision,” Cleverly told Sky News.
12:38pm: Work of Russian ports in the Black Sea continues as usual – source
Operations at Russia’s Black Sea ports are continuing as usual, a source at Russia’s transport ministry told Reuters on Thursday.
12:20pm: 40 US troops arrive in Latvia, with more to come
Some forty U.S. service members arrived in Latvia from Italy early on Thursday, the first group of what is expected to be a deployment of more than 300 troops, the Latvian Defense Ministry said.
The troops, which will be based at Adazi military base just outside the Latvian capital Riga, arrived around midnight local time, before hostilities began in Ukraine, it added.
Dubai: Russia´s assault on Ukraine is reverberating in the energy-rich Gulf, where top oil and gas producers face economic and political dilemmas in easing sky-high prices and alleviating shortages in Europe.
As oil prices broke past $100 per barrel and risks of supply disruptions grew, eyes in Europe were increasingly focusing on oil kingpin Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, one of the biggest natural gas exporters.
And the calculations in Riyadh and Doha are much more nuanced than maximising financial gain from soaring prices, as market constraints and alliances with both the West and Russia are also paramount.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia “are facing a reality in which their main exports are in high demand,” Karen Young, director of the Program on Economics and Energy at the Middle East Institute in Washington, told AFP.
12:04pm: Denmark shuts down its embassy in Kyiv
Denmark’s foreign ministry said has shut down its embassy in Ukraine capital Kyiv, it said in a notice on its web page on Thursday, citing safety concerns.
11:59am: French President Macron calls on Russia to end immediately military actions in Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned on Thursday Russia’s military actions in Ukraine and called on Moscow to end them immediately.
President Vladimir Putin authorised “a special military operation” against Ukraine on Thursday morning to eliminate what he called a serious threat, saying his aim was to demilitarise Russia’s southern neighbour.
11:55am: NATO condemns Russia´s ´reckless and unprovoked´ Ukraine attack, AFP
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday denounced Russia´s “reckless and unprovoked attack” on Ukraine, warning it put “countless” lives in jeopardy.
The ambassadors of the 30-nation alliance were to hold an emergency meeting early Thursday to discuss the Russian attack, with Stoltenberg expected to give a press conference afterwards, a NATO official said separately.
“I strongly condemn Russia´s reckless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which puts at risk countless civilian lives,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.
“Once again, despite our repeated warnings and tireless efforts to engage in diplomacy, Russia has chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.
11:53am: Russian attack ´shakes foundation of international order, says Japan PM, AFP
Russia´s attack on Ukraine “shakes the foundation of the international order”, Japan´s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday, strongly condemning the military incursion.
“The latest Russian invasion shakes the foundation of the international order, which does not permit unilateral attempts to change the status quo,” he told reporters after a meeting of the country´s security council.
“We strongly condemn Russia. We will coordinate efforts with the international community, including the United States, and deal with this swiftly,” he added.
11:51am: Russian-backed separatists say they capture two towns in Ukraine’s east -RIA
Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine said on Thursday they had captured the towns of Shchastia and Stanytsia Luhanska in Ukraine’s region of Luhansk, the RIA news agency reported.
There was no immediate comment by authorities in Ukraine. AFP
