International Desk (National Times)- Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a military operation in eastern Ukraine on Thursday in what appeared to be the start of the war in Europe over Russia’s demands for an end to NATO’s eastward expansion.<\/p>\n
In the recent developments, Ukraine has claimed the killings of ‘around 50 Russian occupiers,’ reported AFP.<\/p>\n
Earlier today, President Joe Biden said the US and its allies will respond in a united and decisive way to “an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces” on Ukraine and vows ‘severe sanctions’ on Russia.<\/p>\n
We are covering the Ukraine crisis live, follow updates here:
\n2:09pm: Ukraine says killed ‘around 50 Russian occupiers’
\n2:01pm: India embassy in Ukraine says arrangements being made for evacuation
\nThe Indian embassy in Ukraine said on Thursday alternative arrangements were being made to evacuate Indians since the Ukrainian airspace had been closed.<\/p>\n
Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation. <\/p>\n
1:58pm: Bitcoin dives to lowest in a month after Russia invades Ukraine, Reuters
\nBitcoin tumbled to its lowest in a month on Thursday after Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast, sparking a sell-off of riskier assets.<\/p>\n
Bitcoin BTC=BTSPslumped as much as 7.9% to $34,324, its lowest since Jan. 24, and was last trading down 5.3%. Smaller coins that typically move in tandem with bitcoin also fell, with ether ETH=BTSP losing as much as 10.8%.<\/p>\n
1:52pm: Kyiv says anyone who can hold a weapon can join territorial defence forces, Reuters
\nUkrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Thursday said that anyone who is ready and able to hold a weapon can join the ranks of the territorial defence forces, as the police said they would distribute weapons to veterans.<\/p>\n
Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.<\/p>\n
1:16pm: Panic in eastern Ukrainian city, more explosions heard – witness
\nPanic gripped the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Thursday and many people were trying to leave and explosions could be heard from the city, a witness told Reuters by telephone.<\/p>\n
The witness, who asked not to be named, said the windows in his apartment block in the city’s east had been shaking from the blasts.<\/p>\n
1:11pm: Ukraine asked Turkey to close Black Sea waterways to Russia -ambassador
\nUkraine has asked Turkey to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to Russian ships, Ukraine’s ambassador to Ankara said on Thursday, after Russia launched air and ground assaults on its neighbour.<\/p>\n
The request puts NATO member Turkey, which shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good relations with both countries, in a difficult position. Under a 1936 pact, Ankara has control over the straits and can limit warship passages during wartime or if threatened.<\/p>\n
1:05pm: China calls for restraint as tensions in Ukraine escalate
\nChinese FM spokesperson Hua Chunying said Thursday that China is closely following the latest developments and call on all parties to exercise restraint to avoid the situation getting out of control.<\/p>\n
12:54pm: France’s Macron calls on Russia to end military actions in Ukraine, Reuters
\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron condemned on Thursday Russia’s military actions in Ukraine and called on Moscow to end them immediately.<\/p>\n
“France strongly condemns the decision of Russia to start a war with Ukraine. Russia must immediately put an end to its military operations,” wrote Macron on his Twitter account.<\/p>\n
Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine conflict: Ukraine claims killed around 50 Russian occupiers
\n12:52pm: Czech ministry says its embassy in Kyiv is temporarily closed
\nThe Czech Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it had temporarily closed the Czech embassy in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv due to the significant worsening of the security situation after Russia’s invasion.<\/p>\n
The ministry said that the Czech consulate in western Ukraine’s Lviv was still operating.<\/p>\n
12:50pm: Aluminium price hits record high on Ukraine attack
\nAluminium on Thursday hit a record-high price after key producer Russia launched a military attack on neighbouring Ukraine.<\/p>\n
The industrial lightweight metal jumped as high as $3,382.50 per tonne, beating the previous peak of $3,380.15 reached in July 2008 during the global financial crisis.<\/p>\n
Aluminium, used in a variety of items including drinks cans and aircraft components, later pulled back to $3,372.50 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange.<\/p>\n
12:41pm: EU chief puts forward “massive” sanctions on Russia for attacking Ukraine
\nThe European Union’s chief executive said on Thursday she would present “massive” sanctions to the bloc’s national leaders for approval later in the day against Russia for invading Ukraine.<\/p>\n
“(Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin is responsible for bringing war back to Europe,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told an emergency announcement after Russia fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast.<\/p>\n
12:39pm: West will slap unprecedented sanctions on Russia, Britain says
\n The West will impose unprecedented sanctions on Russia after President Vladimir Putin authorised an invasion of Ukraine, British junior foreign minister James Cleverly said on Thursday, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n
“We will be bringing forward … in close concert with our international friends and allies, an unprecedented sanctions response, coordinated sanctions response, to punish this appalling decision,” Cleverly told Sky News.<\/p>\n
12:38pm: Work of Russian ports in the Black Sea continues as usual – source
\nOperations at Russia’s Black Sea ports are continuing as usual, a source at Russia’s transport ministry told Reuters on Thursday.<\/p>\n
12:20pm: 40 US troops arrive in Latvia, with more to come
\nSome forty U.S. service members arrived in Latvia from Italy early on Thursday, the first group of what is expected to be a deployment of more than 300 troops, the Latvian Defense Ministry said.<\/p>\n
The troops, which will be based at Adazi military base just outside the Latvian capital Riga, arrived around midnight local time, before hostilities began in Ukraine, it added.<\/p>\n
12:19pm: \u2018Dump-and-run\u2019 at PSX as KSE-100 plunges nearly 1,000 points as Russia invades Ukraine
\nKARACHI: Investors adopted a dump-and-run approach as the KSE-100 Index plunged nearly 1,000 points or 2.16% in intra-day trading, falling below the 45,000 level with political uncertainty and the Ukraine crisis doing enough to push stocks deep in the red.<\/p>\n
The KSE-100 \u2013 a benchmark for market performance \u2013 underwent selling pressure from the word go, dipping to a low of 44,160.01 points at the time of filing this report with volumes remaining on the lower side. Read more<\/p>\n
12:14pm: Russia attack on Ukraine reverberates in energy-rich Gulf, AFP
\nDubai: Russia\u00b4s assault on Ukraine is reverberating in the energy-rich Gulf, where top oil and gas producers face economic and political dilemmas in easing sky-high prices and alleviating shortages in Europe.<\/p>\n
As oil prices broke past $100 per barrel and risks of supply disruptions grew, eyes in Europe were increasingly focusing on oil kingpin Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, one of the biggest natural gas exporters.<\/p>\n
And the calculations in Riyadh and Doha are much more nuanced than maximising financial gain from soaring prices, as market constraints and alliances with both the West and Russia are also paramount.<\/p>\n
Qatar and Saudi Arabia “are facing a reality in which their main exports are in high demand,” Karen Young, director of the Program on Economics and Energy at the Middle East Institute in Washington, told AFP.<\/p>\n
12:04pm: Denmark shuts down its embassy in Kyiv
\nDenmark’s foreign ministry said has shut down its embassy in Ukraine capital Kyiv, it said in a notice on its web page on Thursday, citing safety concerns.<\/p>\n
11:59am: French President Macron calls on Russia to end immediately military actions in Ukraine
\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron condemned on Thursday Russia’s military actions in Ukraine and called on Moscow to end them immediately.<\/p>\n
President Vladimir Putin authorised “a special military operation” against Ukraine on Thursday morning to eliminate what he called a serious threat, saying his aim was to demilitarise Russia’s southern neighbour. <\/p>\n
11:55am: NATO condemns Russia\u00b4s \u00b4reckless and unprovoked\u00b4 Ukraine attack, AFP
\nNATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday denounced Russia\u00b4s “reckless and unprovoked attack” on Ukraine, warning it put “countless” lives in jeopardy.<\/p>\n
The ambassadors of the 30-nation alliance were to hold an emergency meeting early Thursday to discuss the Russian attack, with Stoltenberg expected to give a press conference afterwards, a NATO official said separately.<\/p>\n
“I strongly condemn Russia\u00b4s reckless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which puts at risk countless civilian lives,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“Once again, despite our repeated warnings and tireless efforts to engage in diplomacy, Russia has chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.<\/p>\n
11:53am: Russian attack \u00b4shakes foundation of international order, says Japan PM, AFP
\nRussia\u00b4s attack on Ukraine “shakes the foundation of the international order”, Japan\u00b4s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday, strongly condemning the military incursion.<\/p>\n
“The latest Russian invasion shakes the foundation of the international order, which does not permit unilateral attempts to change the status quo,” he told reporters after a meeting of the country\u00b4s security council.<\/p>\n
“We strongly condemn Russia. We will coordinate efforts with the international community, including the United States, and deal with this swiftly,” he added.<\/p>\n
11:51am: Russian-backed separatists say they capture two towns in Ukraine’s east -RIA
\nRussian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine said on Thursday they had captured the towns of Shchastia and Stanytsia Luhanska in Ukraine’s region of Luhansk, the RIA news agency reported.<\/p>\n
There was no immediate comment by authorities in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
11:48am: Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan to meet Russian President Putin today
\nPrime Minister Imran Khan will see Russian President Vladimir Putin in a one-on-one three hour long meeting today at 3 pm Pakistan time, amid Ukraine-Russia crisis, Geo News reported. Read more<\/p>\n
11:40am: Italy condemns Russia’s attack on Ukraine as “unjustifiable” – PM
\nItaly condemns Russia’s attack on Ukraine as “unjustified and unjustifiable” and is working with its European and NATO allies to respond immediately with unity and determination, the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its south coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.<\/p>\n
11:30am: European stock futures plunge 4% after Russian forces invade Ukraine
\nEuropean stock futures plunged 4% on Thursday as investors dumped riskier assets after Russia attacked Ukraine, raising fears that a war in Europe will fuel higher inflation and derail economic growth.<\/p>\n
Futures tracking Europe’s top 50 firms STXEc1 plummeted 4.1% by 0630 GMT. Among regional markets, German DAX futures FDXc1 dropped 4.4% and UK’s FTSE futures FFIc1 fell 2.4%.<\/p>\n
11:29am: Russian forces invade Ukraine with strikes on major cities
\nRussian forces fired missiles at several Ukrainian cities and landed troops on its south coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.<\/p>\n
Shortly after Putin spoke in a televised address on Russian state TV, explosions could be heard in the pre-dawn quiet of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Gunfire rattled near the capital’s main airport, the Interfax news agency said.<\/p>\n
11:23am: Ukraine parliament approves presidential decree on martial law
\n11:22am: Russia says it has taken out infrastructure at Ukraine air bases -reports
\nRussia’s defence ministry said it has taken out military infrastructure at Ukrainian air bases and degraded Ukraine’s air defences, Russian news agencies reported.<\/p>\n
The Russian ministry denied reports that one of its aircraft had been downed over Ukraine. Ukraine’s military said earlier that five Russian planes and one helicopter had been shot down over its Luhansk region.<\/p>\n
11:18am: Tokyo\u00b4s Nikkei index ends down 1.8% on Ukraine crisis
\nTokyo stocks closed sharply lower on Thursday as fears grew of a full-scale war in eastern Europe after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “military operation” in Ukraine, reported AFP<\/p>\n
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 1.81 percent or 478.79 points to 25,970.82, while the broader Topix index lost 1.25 percent or 23.50 points to 1,857.58.<\/p>\n
11:14am: EU leaders set to discuss further sanctions on Russia at emergency summit, Reuters
\nEuropean Union leaders will discuss a further sanctions package on Russia at an emergency meeting later on Thursday, the EU said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“(European Commission) President (Ursula) von der Leyen will outline a further sanctions package being finalised by the European Commission and which the Council will swiftly adopt,” the statement said.<\/p>\n
11:12am: Non stop cyber attacks
\nUkraine minister says cyber attacks are going on non stop, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n
11:05am: ‘This is Europe’s darkest hour’ since World War 2, Belgium’s De Croo says
\nRussia’s attack on Ukraine has thrown Europe back into a situation it thought the continent had long overcome, Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
“This is Europe’s darkest hour since the Second World War,” he said on Twitter.<\/p>\n
10:59am: Polish PM calls for ‘fiercest possible’ sanctions on Russia
\nPolish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called on Thursday for an immediate reaction to Russia’s aggression on Ukraine, seeking the “fiercest possible” sanctions.<\/p>\n
“We must immediately respond to Russia’s criminal aggression on Ukraine,” Morawiecki wrote on Twitter.<\/p>\n
10:54am: Ukraine Interior Ministry Adviser says attacks on residential buildings buildings and civilians infrastructure are not expected.
\nRussia’s defence ministry said on Thursday that its air strikes on Ukraine were not targeting cities and posed no threat to civilians, the RIA news agency reported.<\/p>\n
Ukraine said earlier that at least eight people had been killed and nine wounded by Russian shelling.<\/p>\n
10:53am: Biden vows ‘severe sanctions’ on Russia by U.S., allies for Ukraine attack, Reuters
\nThe United States and its allies will impose “severe sanctions” on Russia after its military forces launched an attack on Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden said after blasts were heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and other cities.<\/p>\n
10:46am: Ukraine military says Ukrainian Air Defense shot down a Russian plane in Eastern Ukraine, Reuters
\nOil breaches $100 for first time since 2014 on Ukraine attacks, Reuters
\nBEIJING: Oil breached $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014 on Thursday as Russia moved troops into Ukraine, sparking concerns that a war in Europe could disrupt global energy supplies.<\/p>\n
Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is targeting cities with weapons strikes, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet. Read more.<\/p>\n
10:40am: Ammunition depot in Kyiv on fire, Reuters
\nUkraine state emergency service says ammunition depot in Kyiv region is on fire.<\/p>\n
10:34am: Ukrainian president addresses nation
\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses the nation after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, in this still image taken from video footage released February 24, 2022. <\/p>\n
10:27am: Ukraine military says information about the landing of Russian troops in Odessa is false.
\n10:27am: Air Attack on Ukraine
\nUkraine military says Air Force of the armed forces of Ukraine is repelling an air attack by the invader.<\/p>\n
10:20am: Germany’s Scholz says dark day for Europe after unjustified Russian attack on Ukraine
\nGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned on Thursday Russia’s attack on Ukraine as an unjustified and flagrant breach of international law and said Berlin would consult its partners in the Group of Seven (G7), NATO and the European Union.<\/p>\n
“This is a terrible day for Ukraine and a dark day for Europe,” Scholz said in a statement.<\/p>\n
9:58am: Russia has launched a \u2018full-scale invasion\u2019 of Ukraine<\/p>\n
09:58am: Russian forces invade Ukraine after Putin orders attack
\nRussian forces fired missiles at several Ukrainian cities and landed troops on its south coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.<\/p>\n
Shortly after Putin spoke in a televised address on Russian state TV, explosions could be heard in the pre-dawn quiet of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Gunfire rattled near the capital’s main airport, the Interfax news agency said.<\/p>\n
“Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.<\/p>\n
09:53am: UK PM Johnson appalled by events in Ukraine, he says in tweet<\/p>\n
09:37am: Artillery fire heard in Donetsk -Reuters witness
\nArtillery fire was heard on Thursday in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk controlled by Russian-backed separatists, a Reuters witness reported, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a military operation in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
09:24am: Biden says US, allies will respond to ‘unjustified’ attack
\nThe United States and its allies will respond in a united and decisive way to “an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces” on Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden said after blasts were heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.<\/p>\n
“President (Vladimir) Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” Biden said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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