The Russian Ministry of Defense announced it had begun strikes against military targets across Ukraine, with explosions heard in major cities after military infrastructure was targeted by Ukraine.
As per Reuters, Russia has claimed that it has destroyed Ukraine airbases, air defenses, while Ukraine has claimed that it has downed five Russian airplanes.
The news came after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order authorizing the immediate use of force as part of a “special operation” in the Donbass.
Citing requests from local leaders for support, Putin said he would “take decisive and immediate action” to “demilitarize” and “de-Nazify” Ukraine.
Kiev’s foreign minister, Dmitry Kuleba, issued a statement in which he declared that Moscow “has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
According to him, “this is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win,” he insisted. “The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”
On Monday night, the Russian President announced that he would recognize the two breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent states. Both declared their autonomy from Kiev in the wake of the 2014 Maidan, and have been locked in a standoff with government forces since then. According to Putin, diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute have failed.