LIVE: Russia's military ops in Ukraine a 'forced measure', says Putin

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday Ukrainian forces were fighting to prevent Russian troops from capturing the former nuclear power plant at Chernobyl.

7:16 PM

Embassy of India in Kyiv, Ukraine, monitoring situation, evacuation plans being worked out: Embassy in Hungary

6:44 PM

Macron: France will respond without weakness to Russia's 'act of war' on Ukraine

France will respond without weakness to Russia's act of war against Ukraine, said President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, adding that Russia could expect tough sanctions that would hit its military, its economy and its energy sector.

 

"The events of last night mark a turning point in the history of Europe," said Macron in a televised address to the French nation, standing before French, European Union and Ukranian flags.

 

"We will respond to this act of war without weakness, with cold blood, determination and unity," he added.

6:30 PM

Ukraine military plane with 14 aboard crashes near Kyiv: Report

6:14 PM

Ukrainian military plane shot down, five killed: Authorities

A Ukrainian military plane was shot down on Thursday and five people were killed, Ukrainian police and the state emergency service said, as its armed forces sought to defend against a massive Russian military operation.

 

Russian forces invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea on Thursday in the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two.

6:02 PM

‘We are by your side, to British people, we will do everything to keep our country safe’: UK PM Johnson

6:01 PM

NATO allies provided practical support, military support to Ukraine, helped them to build a stronger force

5:45 PM

NATO has no plans to send troops into Ukraine, Stoltenberg says

NATO has no troops inside Ukraine and has no plans to send any into the country, the alliance's Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, told a news conference on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

 

"There are no NATO combat troops, no NATO troops at all inside Ukraine. We have made it clear that we don't have any plans and intention of deploying NATO troops to Ukraine," he said.

 

"What we have made clear is that we have already increased and we are increasing the presence of NATO troops in the eastern part of the alliance on NATO territory." Ukraine is a partner of the Western defence alliance but not a NATO member.

 

5:42 PM

Russian military advances into Kyiv region, says Ukraine

Russian military vehicles breached Ukraine’s Kyiv region, the Ukrainian border guard service said. The Russians crossed into the region via the border with Belarus, about 160 km from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

 

“Border guards and soldiers are fighting,” according to the Ukrainian statement. The service said its units were also being shelled by multiple rocket launcher systems in the Zhytomyr region west of Kyiv.

5:35 PM

Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 30 strikes on civilian, military infrastructure: Ukraine's military

5:19 PM

Russian helicopters attack military airport near Kyiv

Russian helicopters on Thursday attacked Gostomel, a military airport near the capital of Kyiv, and Ukraine downed three of them, Ukrainian officials said.

 

Ukrainian border officials said that the Russian military was trying to penetrate into Ukraine's Kyiv region and its Zhytomyr region on the Belarusian border and that Russia was using Grad rocket systems.

5:01 PM

NATO calls on Russia to immediately seize its military action: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg

4:46 PM

Scholz says Russia will pay bitter price for 'Putin's war'

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday western sanctions would ensure Russia paid a "bitter price" for its attack on Ukraine and make it clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a "serious mistake".

 

"Putin is bringing suffering and destruction to his direct neighbours, he is violating the sovereignty and borders of Ukraine," Scholz told reporters in Berlin.

 

"He is endangering the lives of countless innocent people in Ukraine. Finally, he is endangering the peace order on our continent. For all that there is no justification. This is Putin's war."

4:40 PM

Portugal PM says potential refugees from Ukraine were welcome in country

4:36 PM

18 people killed in Ukraine's Odessa in missile attack: Regional authorities

Regional authorities of Ukraine's southern Odessa region said on Thursday that 18 people were killed in a missile attack.

 

At least six people were killed in Ukraine's town of Brovary, located near the capital of Kyiv, authorities from the town said.

4:33 PM

UK PM Johnson to address nation on Ukraine, 'toughest' sanctions readied

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the nation on Thursday before setting out what he has called "the toughest possible" set of sanctions on Russia after it launched an all-out invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

 

In earlier comments on Twitter, the British leader called the invasion a "catastrophe" for Europe, and said he would talk to other G7 group of rich nations.

 

Western nations are expected to announce coordinated sanctions on Thursday after earlier this week imposing a limited initial package that was criticised by some as a weak response to Russia's recognition of two breakaway regions in Ukraine.

 

"This is a catastrophe for our continent," Johnson said on Twitter. "I will make an address to the nation this morning on the Russian invasion of Ukraine."