UPDATES: Russia Begins Offensive Operations Against Ukraine
At around 4AM local time the Russian Federation began offensive operations against Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin made an apparently pre-recorded ’emergency address’ and announced a ‘special military operation’. A series of strikes against targets across Ukraine have been carried out.
Updates:
In his rhetoric-laden address President Putin outlined the aims of the ‘special military operation’ as:
The White House has released a statement condemning the attack on Ukraine:
Open source intelligence imagery and footage has begun to surface on social media with footage of MRLS launches and explosions in Ukraine’s cities.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, condemned the attack and called on ‘the world’ to ‘stop Putin’:
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg released the following statement at 4:42 AM (CET):
“I strongly condemn Russia’s reckless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which puts at risk countless civilian lives. 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.
This is a grave breach of international law, and a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security. I call on Russia to cease its military action immediately and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. NATO Allies will meet to address the consequences of Russia’s aggressive actions. We stand with the people of Ukraine at this terrible time. NATO will do all it takes to protect and defend all Allies.”
Most Ukrainian government social media accounts remain quiet as of 6.30AM (EET) but the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine posted:
“The invasion of the Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine has begun! The missiles have just struck at the center of the Military Administration, airfields, military depots, in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and the Dnieper.
There are artillery shelling of the border.
Protect your land!”
Martial law has been declared in Ukraine. At approximately 6.45AM (EET) President Zelensky released a video address saying:
“We are working. The army is working… Don’t panic. We are strong. We are ready for everything. We will defeat everyone. Because we are Ukraine.”
An accompanying statement was shared on the official website of the President of Ukraine at 7AM (EET):
“This morning Russia launched a new military operation against our state. This is an unjustified false and cynical invasion.
There are strikes on military and other important defense facilities, attacked border units, the situation in the Donbass has degraded.
The Armed Forces, all special and law enforcement agencies of the state are on alert. The National Security and Defense Council is working in an emergency mode.
Martial law will be imposed.
Our diplomats are informing the world about what is happening. Ukrainians will never give their freedom and independence to anyone. Only we, all citizens of Ukraine, have been determining our future since 1991. But now the fate of not only our state is being decided, but also what life in Europe will be like.
Whether at least something of the force of international law remains depends on the world’s honest and just response to this aggression.
Civilian citizens of Ukraine should stay at home. Warn your loved ones about what is happening. Take care of those who need help.
All thoughts and prayers with our soldiers.
Glory to Ukraine!
Videos shared online show that Russian artillery assets continue to fire on Ukrainian targets:
Footage from a camera reported to be on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border suggests Russian forces have entered Ukraine from Belarus. No timestamp is provided with the footage but it shows T-72 tanks and TOS-1A MLRS vehicles:
Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, shared a short statement on the Ministry’s website appealing for calm and reassuring that “Our military is doing everything to protect you and not give the aggressor a chance to break through.”
UPDATE: As of 11AM (EET) the situation on the ground remains unclear with many reports largely unconfirmed. From open source intelligence reports it appears that Russian forces have followed up precision cruise missile strikes on high value targets and intense MLRS bambardments on tactical targets with advances from Belarus, Crimea and the Belgorod region. The nature and tempo of the Russian operations suggests they are designed to achieve their goals quickly.
President Zelensky tweets (11.54AM EET) that the Ukrainian government will arm those citizens who wish to fight:
Mariupol’s mayor, Vadym Boychenko, confirms that as of 11.10AM (EET) the city is still in Ukrainian hands, despite heavy shelling and unconfirmed reports of Russian amphibious operations.
This morning the Ukrainian armed forces claim to have downed a number of Russian aircraft, the claim is yet to be confirmed.
The Belarus’ state-owned is a BelTA news agency reports that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said that the Belarusian armed forces are not taking part in Russia’s military operations against Ukraine.
There are no confirmed numbers for civilian casualties as yet but footage of apartments near Kharkiv damaged by artillery fire has been shared:
The Ukrainian armed forces have shared photographs of a pair of captured Russian soldiers, insignia suggesting they’re from the 423rd Motor Rifle Regiment, 4th Guards Tank Division of the 1st Guards Tank Army.
Footage geolocated to near Vyshhorod city showing Russian Mi-8 helicopters being engaged by ground fire from MANPADS as they come in over the Dnieper River. The helicopters are seen to deploy flares.
President Zelensky has urged civilians to fight, saying Ukraine’s arsenals will arm them. He also confirmed that Ukraine has served diplomatic ties with Russia.
AFP have shared photographs from Chuguiv showing the damage to residential areas and confirming civilian casualties.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said (12.30PM GMT) that the UK will act in concert with its allies to deploy a “massive package of economic sanctions” against Russia.
“Ukraine is a country that for decades has enjoyed freedom and democracy and the right to choose its own destiny. We and the world cannot allow that freedom just to be snuffed out. We cannot and will not just look away…
Today, in concert with our allies, we will agree a massive package of economic sanctions designed in time to hobble the Russian economy.
And to that end, we must also collectively cease the dependence on Russian oil and gas that for too long has given Putin his grip on western politics.
Our mission is clear; diplomatically politically, economically, and eventually, military, this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure…
This crisis is about the right of a free, sovereign independent European people to choose their own futuren and that is a right that the UK will always defend.“
Orion_int has compiled a map showing the location of some of the initial strikes against High value targets across Ukraine in the early hours of the 24 February.
Earlier this afternoon OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid addressed the OSCE Winter Parliamentary Assembly saying:
“Russia has launched a military action against Ukraine. Together with the Chair, I condemn this in the strongest terms. It is counter to Russia’s UN obligations. It is counter to Russia’s OSCE commitments…
We are urging them to end this unacceptable military action, to sit at the table and to de-escalate. And I am reminding them of their obligations under international law and international humanitarian law, including the principle of not indiscriminatingly targeting civilians. This also pertains to OSCE staff, as a civilian Mission.”
At 3.30PM (EET) the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense posted an update stating there had been no breakthrough along the Line of Contact in Donbas and claiming NLAW-equipped troops have knocked out 3 Russian armored vehicles. These claims are yet to be verified.
Michael Koffman, Director of Russian Studies at the Center for Naval Analyses, has drawn up a map showing some of the probable Russian operations within the last 12 hours and also hypothesising about potential Russian objectives and future operations.
It has been reported that there is fighting near Chernobyl, site of the stricken Soviet nuclear plant. Ukraine anticipated this and held drills in the region in recent weeks. Chernobyl and the abandoned Town of Pripyat lies on the axis of advance of Russian troops moving south from Belarus towards Kyiv.
Here’s a map (via Google Maps) showing the relative positions of Chernobyl and Kyiv. Clearly a tempting line of advance for the Russian push on Kyiv.
Unconfirmed open source intelligence reports suggest that the NATO-trained 4th Rapid Response Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine is counter-attacking the Hostomel Airfield, north of Kyiv, which was captured by Russian VDV elements earlier today.
At 5PM (GMT) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who made an address to the nation earlier today, has updated Parliament on efforts to levy sanctions on Russia. Johnson told MPs that the UK will enact the “largest ever” set of economic sanctions on Russia. Johnson said:
“Putin will stand condemned in the eyes of the world and history. He will never be able to cleanse the blood of Ukraine from his hands.”
Protests against the invasion of Ukraine have been reported in cities across Russia. In a 8:40PM (Moscow time) update the OVD-Info protest monitor stated that “more than 917 people have already been detained in 44 cities.”
Russia’s state-owned RIA Novosti news agency has reported that the Russian Defense Ministry have claimed that as a result of artillery strikes and engagements that:
“83 ground objects of the military infrastructure of Ukraine were disabled, two Ukrainian Su-27s, two Su-24s, one helicopter and four Bayraktar TB-2 drones were shot down.”
Editor’s note – these claims have yet to be verified
It is now reported that Ukraine has lost control of the Chernobyl nuclear site. The AP reports a confirmation of this from a member of the Ukrainian President’s staff.
Video which reportedly shows Russian armoured fighting vehicles at Chernobyl:
It has been confirmed by Alexey Arestovich, a former advisor to the Ukrainian Presidential Office that Hostomel (or Antanov) Airport has been recaptured from Russian VDV airborne forces that had seized it.
The strategically important airport, near Kyiv, was recaptured following a number of Ukrainian counter attacks were repulsed.
President Zelensky said that 137 have died with a further 316 wounded. This number reportedly includes 13 border guards but does not state how many civilian casualties there have been. The Ukrainian government has also announced a general mobilisation:
Open source intelligence specialists Oryx have documented the verifiable losses of both sides during the first day’s fighting:
2.40AM (EET) – heavy fighting in Sumy, in northeast of Ukraine tonight. The video, verified by the New York Times, below shows heavy urban fighting:
We will continue to update as events evolve.