Bhubaneswar: Ukrainian President Zelensky on Thursday compared the Russian invasion with Nazi Germany’s attack in World War II.
As Russia began its military operation, in the east of the country, called the Donbas region, Ukraine tweeted a Hitler-Putin cartoon & wrote, “This is not a meme, but our and your reality right now”.
— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) February 24, 2022
More than 40 Ukrainian soldiers and around 10 civilians died in the first hours of what Ukraine called a “full-scale war” targeting the country from the east, north and south. “I know that more than 40 have been killed and several dozen wounded. I am aware of nearly 10 civilian losses,” presidential administration aide Oleksiy Arestovych told reporters.
According to AP News, Ukrainian border guards released footage of Russian military vehicles moving in, and big explosions being heard in the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv in the east and Odesa in the west. Ukrainians have also fled some cities.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has severed diplomatic relations with Moscow and declared martial law for 30 days.
Earlier in the day, Ukraine Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov had said that anyone who is ready and able to hold a weapon can join the ranks of the Territorial Defence Forces.
