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Vladimir Putin said he has ordered the start of a “special military operation” in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region and demanded Kyiv’s army lay down its weapons.
In an address broadcast on Russian state television shortly before 6am local time, Russia’s president claimed he was not planning to occupy the country.
“All responsibility for the possible bloodshed will be fully and completely on the conscience of the ruling regime,” he said.
Putin warned other countries against “the temptation of meddling in the ongoing events” and said Russia’s response will “lead you to consequences that you have never encountered in your history”.
In Kyiv before dawn on Thursday morning, Financial Times reporters heard explosions in what appeared to be a sign of military action. Social media users in Ukraine reported hearing blasts in other cities, including Kharkiv and the Ukrainian-controlled eastern city of Kramatorsk in the Donbas.
US president Joe Biden said the “prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight” as he accused Putin of launching a “premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering”.
“Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable, ”Biden said in a statement several minutes after Putin spoke on Russian television.
Biden said he would meet G7 counterparts on Thursday morning and would then reveal further measures to punish Russia for the invasion.
Brent crude prices rose above $ 100 a barrel for the first time since 2014 in the minutes following Putin’s announcement.
The international oil benchmark hit $ 100.07, up about 3 per cent, before trading lower again.
Crude oil prices had risen in recent days as tensions escalated by western governments imposed sanctions on Russia following Putin’s recognition of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.
The US has said that it could release oil from its emergency stockpile in the event of any disruption to energy supplies.
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