Chaos Emerges As Russia Begins Precision Bombing, Targeting Military Installations Across Ukraine; Ground Troops March In From Land And Sea

The Associated Press reported the Russian military stating that they haven't targeted populated areas. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, their airstrikes have “suppressed air defense means of the Ukrainian military." The Russian Defence Ministry also believes that Ukraine's military bases' infrastructure has been incapacitated.

The BBC is reporting that Russian troops began entering Ukraine from the neighbouring country of Belarus. The troops entered the city of Senkivka, Ukraine from the city of Veselovka at around 6:48 a.m. local time. Russian troops have also landed in the souther port city of Odessa.

“The state border of Ukraine in the area with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus was attacked by Russian troops supported by Belarus,” stated the nation's border service. They added that an attack has begun from the Crimean side as well.

Ukraine’s Interior Ministry has stated that Russian troops have landed in the southern port city of Odessa and are crossing from Russia into Kharkiv. Footage captured by security cameras shows Russian military convoy crossing into Ukraine from Crimea, the region that Russia seized in 2014.

The Russian attacks began just minutes after Russian President Vladimir V. Putin's speech declaring the beginning of a military operation in Ukraine to 'demilitarise and denazify' the nation but not to occupy the nation.

Mr. Putin also described the operation as a response to a “question of life or death” that he said Russia was facing as a result of NATO's eastward expansion — which Ukraine has aspired to join.

“This is that red line that I talked about multiple times,” Mr. Putin said. “They have crossed it.”

Ironically the declaration came at the exact time when the UNSC was holding an emergency meeting on the crisis.

As of now there is an increasingly intense battle to maintain control over key cities. Ukrainian forces have shot down six Russian fighters and a helicopter, a senior Ukrainian military official has said according to reports. Ukrainian troops are currently repelling Russian advances on two major cities: Chernihiv, in the north near Belarus, and Kharkiv, in the northeast close to Russia’s border.

Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukraine's Defence Minister, called on anyone looking to take up arms against Russian forces to immediately enlist with the country’s territorial defense units. All anyone needs to enlist is a Ukrainian passport, he said. “The enemy is attacking, but our army is indestructible, Ukraine is moving into all-out defense mode", he added.

"This is a deliberate, cold-blooded and long planned invasion," said NATO's secretary general Jens Stoltenberg whilst addressing a press conference in Brussels. He added that Russia has launched air and missile attacks, ground forces and special forces from multiple directions targeting Ukraine's military infrastructure and major urban centres.

The Russian media, majority of which is state controlled, is covering the invasion as an act of self defence aimed limitedly at destroying Ukraine's military.

Rossiya 1 TV began their news bulletin by saying: "Today Russia has begun a special military operation aimed at protecting the people who for the last eight years have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the regime in Kyiv."

Several news bulletins are building a narrative that locals in eastern Ukraine are joyous by featureing vox-pop interviews with some people in the rebel-held regions.

Official state news channel Rossiya 24 showed two people in Donetsk speaking to a reporter, according to the BBC report.

"It's magnificent. There are no other words to describe it," one man said.

The Russian military has put out a statement repeatings its claim that its assault on Ukraine was launched to protect the Russian-backed separatist areas of the Donbas, which Russia said was being attacked by the Ukrainian military, although this claim is dubious.

Ukraine's president, Volodymr Zelensky has said that his country's armed forces are repelling attacks, Russia by contrast says that it has met little resistance and that Ukrainian armed forces are abandoning their weapons and fleeing.

In a televised address to the nation, French President Emanuel Macron has said that Russian attack on Ukraine is a "turning point in European history".