"World Must Act Now": Ukraine Foreign Minister After Russia Announces 'Military Operation'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced war on Ukraine and commenced a 'military operation' in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region. The President has defied the global outrage and appeals not to launch a war and asked the Ukraine army to lay down their arms.

Putin made the surprise announcement during a television address on Thursday, February 24.

'World Must Act Now'

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the country would defend itself and win over it. Calling it a full-scale invasion, Kuleba said that the war was of aggression and the world must can and must stop Putin right away. "The time to act is now," he added.

Putin Warned Other Countries Of Interfering

"I have made the decision of a military operation," he said early morning in Moscow. He has warned other countries of intervening and vowed retaliation against anyone who did. The President said their actions would lead to 'consequences they have never seen', Aljazeera reported.

According to the AP News report, the President reportedly accused the US and its allies of ignoring Russia's demands to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and providing Moscow security guarantees.

Putin said that Russia had no motive for occupying Ukraine. But the action came in response to the threats coming from the latter. The President said the responsibility for the bloodshed lies with the Ukrainian' regime'.

Explosions Heard In Ukraine

Soon after the announcement, several regions of Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, at the airport of Boryspil and Kharkiv heard loud explosions. Reportedly, the two military command centres in the regions also witnessed firing. The gunfires were also heard in Eastern Ukraine's Mariupol region.

Aljazeera's reporter, Andrew Simmons, informed that seven loud explosions had been heard in Kyiv ever since Putin's announcement. "It sounds like shell fire, but it could be airstrikes," the reporter said and called it a 'full-scale invasion'.

Global Criticism

Soon after Putin's announcement, US President Joe Biden said Ukraine was about to suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russia and conveyed his sympathy towards the region's people.

Criticism also poured in from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who has called Russia's move reckless and unprovoked. Stoltenberg informed that the NATO allies would meet to address the matter and asserted the organisation's support to Ukraine. "NATO will do all it takes to protect and defend allies," the Secretary-General added.

Ukraine Urges UN To Stop War

Reportedly, Ukraine's UN envoy has urged the security council to stop the attacks shortly after Putin's announcement.

"I would like to ask the ambassador of the Russian delegation to say on the record that this very moment your troops do not shell and bomb Ukrainian cities, that your troops do not move in the territory of Ukraine," he said.

In response, Russia's UN ambassador said that this wasn't a war but a military operation in the Donbas.

Twitter Bombarded With Videos

Netizens shared multiple clips of the explosions heard in different regions. The authenticity of the videos is yet to be ascertained.

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