Russian soldiers holding staff of Nuclear site Chernobyl facilities hostage, says US and Ukraine says Russian bombs made 137 killed since invasion began..
Chernobyl lies less than 10 miles from Ukraine’s border with Belarus, a Russian ally . From there, it’s a relatively straight shot of about 80 miles south to Kyiv.
Airlines scrambled to adapt to conflict in Europe on Thursday as Ukraine closed its airspace, fuel prices soared, and carriers were urged to “exercise caution” deep inside Russia hours after Moscow’s military invaded Ukraine.
Moldova, southwest of Ukraine, has also halted flights, while Belarus to the north said civilian flights could no longer fly over part of its territory after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised the dawn operation.
Moscow, as Russina President Vladimir Putin vowed retaliation against anyone who interfered. He also called on the Ukraine military to lay down its arms.
Minutes after Putin’s announcement, explosions were heard in several key Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv and Kharkiv.
The airspace over the Ukraine-Russia border has now been restricted, turning it into a no-go zone for commercial aviation. Multiple Ukrainian airports in the East have suspended all operations tonight, including Kharkiv.
The situation in Ukraine deteriorated after President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine, triggering serious concerns over the possibility of a full-scale military confrontation between the two countries.
Following Putin’s announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said an “invasion” could be the beginning of a “big war” in Europe.
US President Joe Biden called Russia’s attack on Ukraine ‘unprovoked and unjustified’, with EU promising ‘never seen before’ sanctions. China stood behind Putin rejecting descriptions of invasion.
Even as Russia launched a full-blown attack on Ukraine by land, sea and air on Thursday, world leaders expressed raw outrage in condemning Vladimir Putin’s attack on his neighbouring country.
The European Union and others have promised unprecedented sanctions against Russia. India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar also reached out to the EU and discussed the “grave situation” and possible “de-escalation efforts”.
None of the countries condemning the attack, however, promised to move in militarily and defend Ukraine as it could touch off a major European war. Putin has warned that interference will lead to consequences “never seen in history”.
While Ukrainian President Volodymur Zelenskiy said Putin’s aim was to destroy his state, the Russian president described his country’s act as “a special military operation” to protect people, including Russian citizens subjected to “genocide” in Ukraine.
