Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine, unleashing a bombardment of Ukrainian cities. In a statement from the Kremlin at 0600 hours Moscow Time Putin called on members of the Ukrainian army to lay down their arms and go home to their families, saying that he was seeking to prevent a genocide against Russian-speakers and vowing a “demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine.”
Continuing in the cynical mode that he has been using throughout the crisis Putin claimed his plans “don’t include occupation of Ukrainian territory, we are not going to impose anything on anyone by force.”
“To anyone who would consider interfering from outside: If you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history. All the relevant decisions have been taken. I hope you hear me,” he said.
Putin added that Russia’s actions were about protecting Ukraine “from those who took Ukraine hostage.” Promising the Russian people a quick war, he said he hoped “that we can turn this tragic page as soon as possible and move forward together, not to allow anyone to interfere in our affairs.”
Shortly afterwards explosions were heard around the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv and in the Donbass region.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced that the Russians had launched a full-scale invasion and that cities were under bombardment. “This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now,” he tweeted.
