anti-bombing warning sirens heard in Kiev, explosions in several cities

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06:48 : “The Ukrainian border was attacked by Russian troops from Russia and Belarus”, Ukrainian border guards report in a statement. These attacks were notably carried out usingartillery”.

06:44 : The United States will table a draft resolution today before the UN Security Council condemning Russia for its “war” in Ukraine, according to the American ambassador to the United Nations. According to anonymous diplomats quoted by AFP, the text could be put to a vote tomorrow.

06:37 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on his fellow citizens to “don’t panic” in the face of the Russian attack, in a short video posted on Facebook. “We are ready for anything, we will win”he assured.

06:31 : Several journalists from AFP, BFM TV and CNN have reported hearing the anti-bombing warning sirens in the center of Kiev. Explosions, whose origin is unknown, sounded this morning in the capital and in several towns in eastern Ukraine.

06:29 : Anti-bombing warning sirens sound in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.

06:27 : Vladimir Putin’s statement gave rise to a tense exchange between the Ukrainian ambassador to the United Nations and his Russian counterpart. “Call Putin (…) to stop this aggressiondid he declare. There is no purgatory for war criminals, they go straight to hell.”

06:21 : “In the name of humanity, let us not allow the outbreak in Europe of what could be the worst war since the beginning of the century. [Si cela] leads to all-out war, it’s hard to predict how dramatic it will be, in terms of how many people will die, how many people will be displaced, how many people will lose hope for the future.”

06:14 : “[Ce conflit] must stop now. President Putin, in the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia!”

06:12 : Vladimir Putin’s surprise address came as the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on the Ukraine crisis. This decision, “at the very moment when this Council is meeting, illustrates the contempt in which Russia holds international law and the United Nations”reacted the French ambassador to the UN.

06:09 : The Russian Ministry of Defense claims to aim with “high precision weapons” several military sites in Ukraine, where Moscow launched a military operation this morning. “Military infrastructure, air defense facilities, military airfields and aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are rendered harmless”he says.

06:15 : Here is a first point on the news of this Thursday morning:

• Vladimir Putin announced, during a surprise televised speech at 4 a.m. (French), to have launched a “military operation” in Ukraine, calling on the Ukrainian military to“Throw down the weapons”. Follow the latest information in our live.

• The Russian army said it was targeting Ukrainian military sites with “high precision weapons”. Explosions were heard in Kharkiv, Odessa and Kiev, without anyone knowing the origin of these explosions.

• The Ukrainian president has announced the introduction of martial law in the country, in response to the Russian attack. Its foreign minister has claimed that Russia is currently carrying out a “large-scale invasion”while Kiev closed its airspace to civilian flights.

Parliament adopted yesterday the extension from 12 to 14 weeks of the legal deadline for abortion, to respond to a lack of practitioners and the gradual closing of centers.

05:58 : Vladimir Putin announced, during a surprise televised speech at 4 a.m. (French), to have launched a “military operation” in Ukraine. The Russian president said he wanted to defend the pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country. “We will strive to achieve demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine”he said, without specifying the extent of this “transaction”.

05:58 : Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a “military operation” in Ukraine, Kiev denounces a “large-scale invasion”.

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