Russia Launches Military Operation against Ukraine

Russian army carried out a well-organized joint military operation with Lugansk and Donetsk's forces in Ukrainian territory, according to RT.

This came just a few minutes after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” at dawn, amid warnings from world leaders that it could spark the biggest war in Europe since the second world war that occurred in 1945.

In his address on Thursday morning, Putin noted that the operation’s ultimate goal is “to protect the people who have been subjected for 8 years to genocide by the Kyiv regime,” adding that Moscow would “embark on a demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, and handing over to justice those who committed numerous atrocities against civilians.”

Putin also affirmed: “We do not have plans to occupy Ukrainian territories. We are not going to impose anything on anyone by force."

Following Putin’s short televised address, at about 5 am Ukrainian time, a number of great explosions were heard near major Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian domestic reports.

In response to this military operation, the UN has called on the parties concerned to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties while carrying out military operations.