Ukraine reports advance of Russian ground troops – tank columns cross border
WELT special on the escalation in Ukraine
A Russian “military operation” has been underway in eastern Ukraine since the early hours of the morning. Attacks and explosions were reported from numerous cities, including Kiev. Follow all developments here and at WELT on TV.
After the “military operation” announced by Russia, the Ukrainian government speaks of a “large-scale invasion” of their country. Attacks and explosions were reported from numerous cities, and there are also plans to attack from Belarus. An overview.
RUssland has launched an attack on Ukraine from several flanks. According to the Ukrainian border guard, Russian ground forces have entered the country. In several northern regions and from the annexed Crimean peninsula, the army crossed the border with tanks and other heavy equipment, the border guard said on Thursday.
The Russian armed forces have meanwhile, according to their own statements, rendered the country’s air defense system completely harmless. The Defense Ministry announced on Thursday in Moscow that the bases of the Ukrainian air force had been put out of action with “precision-guided ammunition”. According to Ukrainian sources, at least 7 soldiers were killed and 15 others injured as a result of Russian airstrikes. In addition, 19 soldiers were missing, said the Ministry of the Interior in Kiev. A bridge over the Inhulez River in southern Ukraine was destroyed.
According to the Russian news agency Interfax, targets across Ukraine were attacked. Meanwhile, the separatists have reported taking two small towns in eastern Ukraine. These are Stanytsia Luhanska and Shchastya. Accordingly, Russian troops advanced across the river Siwerskyi Donets, which previously formed the front line. At the same time, the authorities in Kiev confirmed the advance of the pro-Russian forces into the area controlled by Ukrainian government troops.
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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba spoke of a “large-scale invasion of Ukraine”. The world “can and must stop Putin. It is time to act now,” he urged. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was attacking “our military infrastructure”. He imposed martial law. According to the government, it does not expect Russian attacks on civilian targets. No attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure are expected, said an interior ministry adviser in Kyiv.
Shortly before, Putin had announced a “military operation” in Ukraine in a late-night televised speech. The information about maneuvers cannot initially be verified independently and is based on reports from the respective armed forces.
Where attacks are reported in Ukraine:
Capital Kiev
reporters from CNN, AFP and Reuters heard explosions near the capital Kiev. There have been at least two explosions in downtown Kiev that have triggered alarms on vehicles.
Kharkiv
Reporters from the US broadcaster CNN also reported that they heard loud explosions in Kharkiv. One perceives “a continuous chain of loud explosions”, according to the reporters on site.
Kharkiv (also Kharkov) is the second largest city in Ukraine after Kiev with around 1.5 million inhabitants. It is in the east of the country.
Source: Infographic WORLD
Dnipro
A resident of Dnipro tells CNN about “a few explosions.” With around one million inhabitants, Dnipro is the fourth largest city in Ukraine after Kiev, Kharkiv and Odessa.
Zaporizhia
Attacks were also reported on Zaporizhia. Zaporizhia is the capital of the Zaporizhia region in southern Ukraine and the sixth largest city in the country with around 760,000 inhabitants.
Port city of Mariupol
AFP reporters reported three explosions in the port city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov. Mariupol is a city in the Donetsk region with around 440,000 inhabitants.
Odesa
According to the Interfax news agency, there are attacks from the water. Landing operations of the Black Sea Fleet in the Sea of Asvo and in Odessa are reported. The Ukrainian military rejects the reports as false.
Kramatorsk
WELT reporter Steffen Schwarzkopf reports of “explosions close Kramatorsk in the Ukraine“. Residents in the eastern Ukrainian city, which is around 120 kilometers from Donetsk, also confirmed to CNN that there were “two massive explosions”.
Donetsk
Artillery fire can be heard in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk, controlled by Russian-backed separatists, according to eyewitnesses.
Luhansk region
Explosions were also heard on the front line to the eastern Ukrainian separatist areas. According to Interfax, pro-Russian separatists attacked a city near their Luhansk Oblast, which is under Ukrainian control. This is reported by eyewitnesses to the news agency.
Border with Belarus
According to the Ukrainian border guard, Ukraine is also being attacked by the Russian army from Belarus. The border guards said on Thursday that Ukraine was being shelled with “artillery” by “Russian troops from Russia and Belarus”. Ukrainian forces would return fire.
The Russian head of state Vladimir Putin had previously called his Belarusian colleague Alexander Lukashenko to inform him about the start of Russia’s “military operation” against Ukraine, according to the President’s Office in Minsk. Around 5 a.m. (local time; 3 a.m. CET) there was a phone call between the two heads of state. Putin informed about the situation on the Ukrainian border and in eastern Ukraine.