Russia Launches ‘Full-Scale Invasion’ in Ukrain
Thursday, 24th February 2022
Russian President Putin has claimed he had no other option but to order what he described as a “special operation” against Ukraine, arguing all of Moscow’s previous attempts to ensure its security concerns were addressed had come to nothing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a military operation in Ukraine, with explosions heard soon after across the country and its foreign minister warning a “full-scale invasion” was Under way.
Weeks of intense diplomacy and the imposition of sanctions on Russia failed to deter Putin, who had massed between 150,000 and 200,000 soldiers along the borders of Ukraine.
Putin called on Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms and said the operation was overseeing a “genocide” in the east of Ukraine.
The Kremlin had earlier said rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine had asked Moscow for military help against Kyiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has recognized the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.He made the announcement in a televised speech to the nation on Monday 21 February 20200, night.
The Russian leader signed a decree recognizing the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DPR) and the “Luhansk People’s Republic” (LPR) as independent.
It laid out plans for “aid agreements” between Russia and the two separatist territories. In a long, fiery address, Putin said he was confident the Russian people would support his decision. He also described Ukraine as inextricably linked to Russia’s history.
Ukraine President : Ukraine is Europe’s shield against Russia
(19 Feb 2022) Ukraine is Europe’s “shield” against the Russian military and deserves stronger
International support. His comments came as pro-Russia separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine ordered a full military mobilization while Western leaders made increasingly dire warnings that a Russia invasion of its neighbour appeared imminent.
“For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield,” Zelenskyy told a security conference in the German city of Munich.
Western powers should drop their policy of “appeasement” toward Moscow, he added. “We have no weapons and no security … but we have a right a right to demand a shift from a policy of appeasement to one ensuring security and peace.”
“For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world,” Zelenskyy said, in reference to Ukraine’s conflict with Russian-backed separatists.
Military head-to-head: Russia has one of the most powerful militaries in the world and ranks among the top five defence spenders. In 2020, Russia spent $61.7bn on its military, which accounted for 11.4 percent of government spending. In comparison, Ukraine spent $5.9bn on its armed forces, or 8.8 percent of government spending, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.(Courtesy Aljazeera News Agency)
Russia-Ukraine war casualties 2022:
Moscow says 500 Russians killed in Ukraine since invasion started: Russia rejects reports of ‘incalculable losses’ and about the involvement of cadets or conscripts in the fighting. Russia’s Ministry of Defence has said that 500 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine and 1,600 more sustained wounds, in the first report of casualties by Moscow since it launched an invasion on February 24. (Up
Defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov on Wednesday also rejected reports about “incalculable losses” among Russian forces as “disinformation.” He assured that families of those killed are receiving all necessary assistance.
The spokesperson also said more than 2,870 Ukrainian troops have been killed and some 3,700 more sustained injuries, while 572 others have been captured by the Russians. Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on the claim and it could not be immediately verified.
On the other side, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said that more than 2,000 civilians have died, though it was impossible to verify that claim. The United Nations’ human rights office said on Thursday it had recorded the deaths of 136 civilians, including 13 children, in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion.(SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES)
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says a third World War would be nuclear and destructive
MOSCOW, March 2 (Reuters) – Lavrov has said that Russia, which launched what it calls a special military operation against Ukraine last week, would face a “real danger” if Kyiv acquired nuclear weapons.
Russia’s Foreign Minister wants list of weapons that can never be deployed in Ukraine
MOSCOW, March 2 (Reuters) “Specific types of strike weapons must be identified which will never be deployed in Ukraine and will not be created,” Lavrov said in an interview with Al Jazeera, the text of which was published on his ministry’s website. Lavrov said Russia recognised President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as Ukraine’s leader and welcomed as a “positive step” the fact that Zelenskiy wanted to receive security guarantees.
“Our negotiators are ready for the second round of discussing these guarantees with Ukrainian representatives,” he said.
Russia and Ukraine’s main Wheat exports: More than one-quarter of the world’s wheat exports come from Russia and Ukraine. Economic sanctions or military action may have a significant effect on the cost of food as importers seek to find alternatives. Russia exported $407bn in products and Ukraine $49bn in 2019.
Europe’s gas prices soar 62% as crisis puts fuel supply at risk: German power for March jumped as much as 58%. Coal and oil also surged. Russian gas exporter Gazprom PJSC its shipments to Europe via Ukraine were normal. Russian gas flows through Ukraine, which have been low in recent months, actually rose amid higher prices, data from Slovakian gas transport operator Eustream AS show.
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant on fire after shelling: Plant spokesman Andriy Tuz told Ukrainian television that shells were falling directly on the Zaporizhzhia plant in the city of Enerhodar and had set fire to one of the facility’s six reactors. That reactor is under renovation and not operating, but there is nuclear fuel inside, he said.
Russian forces gain ground: Elsewhere, Russian forces gained ground in their bid to cut off the country from the sea, as Ukrainian leaders called on citizens to rise up and wage guerrilla war against the invaders.
‘A real opportunity’: Israel urges Ukrainian Jews to immigrate: About 100 Ukrainian Jews have arrived in Israel and government officials say some 10,000 are expected in the coming weeks.
Occupied East Jerusalem – Israel is keen on bringing in Ukrainian Jewish refugees for the purpose of maintaining Jewish demographic “supremacy” over the Palestinian population, academics and analysts say.