Russia’s military was attacking Ukraine overnight from the sea and by land — including from neighboring country Belarus, per multiple reports.
Driving the news: Air raid sirens rang out in the capital Kyiv, as Russian missile strikes were reported in multiple cities across Ukraine — soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in the country.
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The big picture: Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, said on Facebook that Russia’s military had unleashed missile attacks on Ukrainian military command facilities, air bases and military depots in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro, according to a translation by AP.
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Loud explosions were reported in the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine’s northeast, per multiple reports.
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Ukraine’s border guard agency reported they were returning fire against Russian troops that had launched an “artillery barrage” in a Belarus-backed assault, per an AP translation. Russia had extended its military drills in Belarus in recent days.
Meanwhile, Russia civilian flights said airspace for civilian flights on the Ukraine-Belarus border had been closed, Reuters notes.
Editor’s note: This a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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