Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, unleashing air strikes and ordering ground troops across the border in fighting that Ukrainian authorities said left dozens of people dead.
The attack triggered Western warnings of unprecedented sanctions against Russia as NATO, EU and G7 leaders condemned the invasion and vowed to hold Moscow accountable.
Weeks of intense diplomacy failed to deter Putin, who amassed over 150,000 troops on Ukraine's borders in what the West said was the biggest military build-up in Europe since World War II.
"I have decided to proceed with a special military operation," Putin said in a surprise statement on television shortly before 6 am.
Shortly afterwards, the first bombardments were heard in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and several other cities.
Russian air strikes hit military installations across the country as ground forces moved in from the north, south and east, forcing many Ukrainians to flee their homes to the sounds of bombing.
Fighting was also seen raging in Chernobyl near the nuclear facility where the 1986 reactor blast leaked radiation, after which Ukraine reported that Russian troops captured the Chernobyl power plant.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its first day of the Ukraine invasion was "successful" hours after announcing it had destroyed 74 above-ground military infrastructure facilities, including 11 aerodromes. Ukrainian police said Russia had carried out 203 attacks since the beginning of the day.
PM Modi spoke to Putin today regarding the crisis and called for an immediate end to violence.
Here are the live updates on the Russia-Ukraine crisis:
Ukraine President Says "Left Alone" To Fight Against Russian OffensiveUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday his country was "left alone" to fight Russia after the Kremlin launched a large-scale invasion.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin held a "frank" phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron Thursday, the Kremlin said, after Moscow sent troops to invade its pro-Western neighbour Ukraine.
Russian forces restored water flow to a canal linking the Dnieper River in Ukraine to Russian-annexed Crimea, a Russian defence ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, as Russia pressed ahead with a vast military operation against Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced severe new sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, including freezing assets of major banks and cutting off high-tech exports to the country.
Britain on Thursday imposed a biting package of sanctions on Russia that Prime Minister Boris Johnson said would degrade its economy "for years to come", as he slammed President Vladimir Putin in unusually personal terms.
A Russian AN-26 military transport aircraft crashed in Russia's southern Voronezh region on Thursday, killing its crew on board, Interfax news agency quoted Russian military officials as saying.
The United States will deploy 7,000 more troops to Europe, to be based in Germany, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
The United States has expelled Russia's number two diplomat in Washington in a tit-for-tat move after Moscow's expulsion of a senior US envoy, a State Department official said Thursday.
The Russian forces came in shooting as they dropped from the open doors of helicopters to gain control of a strategic airport on the edge of Kyiv.
Ukrainian forces are defending against an invasion on three sides by a Russian military that is bigger, better armed and steeped in recent combat experience from Syria's civil war.
Over 700 Detained At Anti-War Protests Across Russia
Russian Troops Capture Chernobyl Power PlantThe Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been captured by Russian forces, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Thursday.
Russia-Ukraine War: Pune Sets Up Control Room For Indian Students Stuck In UkraineThe Pune district administration has set up a control room to help students and others from the district who are stranded in Ukraine.
Putin Says "No Other Way" To Defend Russia Other Than Invading UkrainePresident Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he had no other option but to order what he has called a special operation against Ukraine, saying all of Moscow's previous attempts to change the security situation had come to nothing.
Russia Vows "Tough" Retaliation To EU's "Unfriendly" SanctionsMoscow vowed Thursday to respond in kind to "unfriendly" European Union sanctions imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine Capital Kyiv Declares Curfew Following Russian InvasionKyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko on Thursday announced an overnight curfew in Ukraine's capital as the country battled to repel a Russian invasion.
Russian troops breach area near Chernobyl, Ukraine troops fighting to prevent repeat of disaster, says Ukraine Russia, Ukraine Forces Battle For Airbase On Kyiv OutskirtsRussian and Ukrainian forces are battling for control of an airbase on the northern outskirts of Kyiv, a senior Ukrainian officer said Thursday, as dozens of attack helicopters swooped on the area. Read more here.
203 Attacks By Russia Today, Says Ukraine: 5 Latest War DevelopmentsRussian President Vladimir Putin announced an attack on Ukraine shortly before 8:30 am Indian time, saying the military operation was to defend separatists in the east from "genocide". Dozens have been reported dead on both sides. Read more here.
Team from Embassy of India in Hungary has been despatched to the border post Zohanyi to coordinate and provide assistance to facilitate exit of Indians from Ukraine. Mission is working with with Govt of Hungary to provide all possible assistance. @IndiainUkraine @MEAIndia contd.
- Indian Embassy in Hungary (@IndiaInHungary) February 24, 2022
Moscow Warns Legal Consequences For Russians Joining Anti-War ProtestsRussian authorities on Thursday warned anti-war sympathisers from gathering for protests, after President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine.
PM Modi Will Speak To Russia's Putin Tonight On Ukraine CrisisPrime Minister Narendra Modi is currently meeting key ministers of his cabinet to discuss the economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and ways to mitigate the impact of rising crude oil prices.
"This Is Not A Meme": Ukraine Tweets Hitler-Putin Cartoon Amid War
Heard 4-5 Blasts, Friends Were Crying: Indian Student Junaid Khan In Ukraine To NDTV
Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Need Bomb Shelters? Google Them, Says Indian Embassy In Ukraine
Russia-Ukraine Crisis: NATO Chief Says No Plans To Send Troops To UkraineNATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that the alliance had no intention to send forces into Ukraine after Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbour.
Russia Acting Like "Nazi Germany": Ukraine President On Moscow's InvasionUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday compared Russia's invasion of his country to military campaigns carried out by Nazi Germany during World War II.
Click here for Kyiv City administration's bomb shelter resources.Third Advisory to all Indian Nationals/Students in Ukraine.@MEAIndia @PIB_India @PIBHindi @DDNewslive @DDNewsHindi @DDNational @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/naRTQQKVyS
- India in Ukraine (@IndiainUkraine) February 24, 2022
Russia-Ukraine War: Kremlin Expects Russians To Support Military Operation In UkraineThe Kremlin said Thursday it believes Russians will "support" Moscow's military operation in Ukraine, saying the duration of the mission will depend on "results" and will last as long as necessary.
National Emergency To Come In This Country Over Russia's Ukraine InvasionEU and NATO member Lithuania said on Thursday it would impose a state of emergency after the Russian army's air and ground attack on Ukraine. Read more here.
PM Modi To Hold Meet This Evening On Ukraine CrisisPM Modi will meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other officials on Thursday evening to discuss the economic impact of Russia-Ukraine crisis and ways to mitigate the impact of rising crude oil prices, a government source told Reuters.
"We Are All Brothers": Ukrainian And Russian Expats In Cyprus Look On In HorrorUkrainians living alongside fellow expats from "brother" Russia in the Mediterranean seaside town of Limassol in Cyprus looked on in horror Thursday at the Russian assault on their homeland.
Germany on Thursday said the EU, NATO and the G7 would work to hit Russia with severe sanctions after the Kremlin launched an air and ground assault on Ukraine.
"We will launch the full package with the most massive sanctions against Russia and we will strengthen our security and our allies," Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.
China reiterated on Thursday a call for all parties involved in the situation in Ukraine to exercise restraint and rejected a foreign journalist's description of Russia's actions as an invasion.
The comments were made by foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular daily briefing.
Ukraine says killed 'around 50 Russian occupiers', reported news agency AFP.
Belarus's leader Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday that his military is not taking part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, state media reported.
"Our armed forces are not taking part in this operation," Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said. Moscow has stationed tens of thousands of troops in Belarus.
The head of the Ukrainian military said Thursday he had received orders from President Volodymyr Zelensky to repel a Russian invasion of his country.
"The supreme commander the Armed Forces of Ukraine gave orders to inflict maximum losses against the aggressor," Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Major General Valeriy Zaluzhny said.
The Ukrainian military death toll from the Russian invasion rose to three Thursday, the border guard service said, with confirmed losses suffered along the southern border with Kremlin-annexed Crimea.
The Russian armed forces were trying to invade Ukraine from several directions, using rocket systems and helicopters to attack Ukrainian position in the south, the border guard service said.
India is looking for alternative routes to evacuate its citizens living in conflict-hit Ukraine after the east European nation closed its airspace following a Russian invasion. An Air India flight going to Ukraine turned back for Delhi this morning. Flight trackers on the internet show no commercial aircraft in Ukrainian airspace as of now.
Sources said high-level meetings are going on at the Ministry of External Affairs, or MEA, to work out contingency plans and find alternate evacuation routes for thousands of Indian citizens living in Ukraine.
Poland on Thursday asked NATO to activate Article 4, which calls for emergency consultations if a member is threatened, after Russia launched an attack on Ukraine.
Poland's ambassador in Brussels, where NATO is based, "submitted a request to the NATO secretary general, together with a group of allies," Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller said.
Ukraine is not a NATO member, but the alliance has repeatedly condemned Russia's aggressions against its neighbour.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for European "unity" in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron after his country came under Russian attack, Macron's office said.
Zelensky also called for "many interventions" to aid Ukraine, while Macron assured Ukraine of France's "support and solidarity," it said.
President Emmanuel Macron has summoned the French defence council early Thursday in response to Russian attacks on Ukraine, his office said.
The gathering of the council, headed by Macron and featuring a small number of key ministers, is to start at 9:00 am (0800 GMT), the Elysee said.
Russia faces "unprecedented isolation" over its attack on Ukraine and will be hit with the "harshest sanctions" the EU has ever imposed, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday.
"This is not a question of blocs. This is not a question of diplomatic power games. It's a matter of life and death. It is about the future of our global community," he said in a broadcast statement.
China says 'closely watching' Ukraine situation after Russian attack, reported news agency AFP.
Ukraine border guards report first death from Russian invasion, reported news agency AFP.
Russia on Thursday said it closed shipping in the Azov Sea, which lies between Russia and Ukraine, after President Vladimir Putin launched an attack on Ukraine, agencies reported.
"In connection with the conduct of anti-terrorist activities, shipping in the Azov Sea is suspended from 4.00 am (0100 GMT) on February 24 until further notice," a representative of the Federal Agency for Maritime Transport Rosmorrechflot told Russian agencies.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday strongly condemned Russia's military action against Ukraine, vowing Paris would work with allies to end the war.
"Russia must immediately put an end to its military operations," Macron wrote on Twitter, saying Russia had made the decision to "wage war" on Ukraine.
Russian troops have crossed into Ukraine, news agency AFP reported.
Russia's assault on Ukraine is reverberating in the energy-rich Gulf, where top oil and gas producers face economic and political dilemmas in easing sky-high prices and alleviating shortages in Europe.
Australia hit Russia with a "second phase" of sanctions on Thursday over its assault on Ukraine, the first salvo in an expected battery of new international measures to punish Moscow.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Thursday preside over an emergency meeting to discuss the "horrific" Russian attack on Ukraine, his office said.
"The Prime Minister will chair a COBR at 0730 (local and GMT) to discuss the response to the horrific attacks in Ukraine this morning," a Downing Street spokesperson said.
India's embassy in Ukraine has asked Indian nationals living in the conflict-hit eastern European nation to "maintain calm and remain safe". The advisory comes hours after an Air India flight going to Ukraine turned back for Delhi after the country closed it airspace, following Russian military operations in two breakaway areas.
Flight trackers on the internet show no commercial flights in Ukrainian airspace as of now.
"Dear Indians in Ukraine, the present situation in Ukraine is highly uncertain. Please maintain calm and remain safe wherever you are, be it in your homes, hostels, accommodations or in transit," India's embassy in Ukraine said in the advisory.
Russia's attack on Ukraine "shakes the foundation of the international order", Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday, strongly condemning the military incursion.
"The latest Russian invasion shakes the foundation of the international order, which does not permit unilateral attempts to change the status quo," he told reporters after a meeting of the country's security council.
US President Joe Biden will meet with his counterparts from the Group of Seven allies early Thursday to map out more severe measures against Russia after President Vladimir Putin launched what Biden called "a premeditated war" against Ukraine.
Biden, who spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy late on Wednesday, said the United States and its allies will respond in "a united and decisive way" to what he called "an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces" on Ukraine.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday lashed Russia's attack on Ukraine as "unjustified and unjustifiable," saying Europe and NATO were working on an immediate response.
"The Italian Government condemns Russia's attack on Ukraine. It is unjustified and unjustifiable. Italy is close to the Ukrainian people and institutions in this dramatic moment. We are working with European and NATO allies to respond immediately, with unity and determination," Draghi said in a statement.
Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that the country's allies were building a "coalition" against Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged the world to take measures to force Moscow to stop its attack.
"We are building an anti-Putin coalition," Zelensky wrote on Twitter, after talks with the leaders of the US, EU, Britain, Germany and Poland.
"The world must compel Russia to peace," he wrote.
The Ukrainian military claimed on Thursday to have downed five Russian planes and a helicopter in the east of the country near a rebel-held enclave, reported AFP.
"According to the Joint Forces Command, today, February 24, in the area of the Joint Forces operation, five planes and a helicopter of the aggressors were shot down," the army general staff said.
Russia Says Destroyed Ukraine Airbases, Air Defences: Reports
Air raid sirens rang out Thursday in Ukraine's western city of Lviv, an AFP reporter said, adding that there were no immediate sounds of explosions or other signs of attack.
The city has turned into the temporary base of several Western embassies, including the United States and Britain, which evacuated their diplomats from the capital Kyiv in the days preceding Russia's attack on Ukraine.
Ukraine is coming under artillery attack along its northern border with Russia and Belarus, the border guard service said on Thursday, adding that Ukrainian forces were returning fire.
The statement was issued as a Ukrainian interior ministry official reported the Ukrainian government-held town of Shchastya had fallen to Russian-backed eastern insurgents.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned on Thursday the "horrific events in Ukraine", saying Russia's President Vladimir Putin "has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack".
"The UK and our allies will respond decisively," he tweeted, adding he had spoken to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.
A visibly emotional Ukrainian ambassador traded barbs with his Russian counterpart during a heated late-night emergency Security Council meeting on the Russia-Ukraine crisis Wednesday.
Sergiy Kyslytsya implored the council, chaired by Russia, to "do everything possible to stop the war" against his country.
"It is the responsibility of these bodies to stop the war," Kyslytsya told the meeting of the 15-member council, which began shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine.
Kyslytsya urged UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia of Russia, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the council, to "call Putin, call (Foreign Minister Sergey) Lavrov to stop (the) aggression."
Ukraine's armed forces are heavily outnumbered and outgunned by Russia's, but as Russia begins what may be a large-scale invasion, military experts say they would be capable of mounting significant resistance and inflicting heavy casualties.
Ukraine's army is also better trained and equipped than in 2014, when Russia captured the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine without a fight, and is widely seen as highly motivated to defend the country's heartland.
Here are some details of Ukraine's military.
Russian forces attacked targets across Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin ordered an operation to demilitarize the country, in what Ukraine's foreign minister called a "full-scale invasion."
Putin appealed to Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms and go home in a nationally televised address ahead of the offensive. He said Russia doesn't plan to "occupy" its southern neighbor, but that Russia must "defend itself from those who took Ukraine hostage," accusing the U.S. and its allies of crossing Russia's "red line" by expanding the NATO alliance.
Air raid sirens rang out in downtown Kyiv on Thursday as cities across Ukraine were hit with what Ukrainian officials said were Russian missile strikes and artillery, reported AFP.
Citizens were headed for underground metro stations to take shelter, AFP correspondents saw, as authorities declared martial law in the face of what they fear is a full-scale invasion.
NATO ambassadors are to hold an emergency meeting this morning on Russia's attack on Ukraine, an alliance official told AFP.
"We can confirm that the NAC (the council of ambassadors) will hold an emergency meeting this morning (Thursday)," a NATO official said.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg was to hold a media conference afterwards, expected around 12:30 pm (1130 GMT), the official said.
The Russian defence ministry said Thursday it was targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure with precision weapons after President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation against the country.
"Military infrastructure, air defense facilities, military airfields, and aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are being disabled with high-precision weapons," the defence ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Russia was attacking his country's "military infrastructure" and border guards, but urged citizens not to panic and vowed victory.
In a video message posted on Facebook after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a military operation against Ukraine, Zelensky also introduced martial law across the country, adding that he had spoken by phone with US President Joe Biden.
Flights from cities in southern Russia near Ukraine were cancelled Thursday after President Vladimir Putin announced his army had begun a military operation in the country.
"According to a decision by Russian aviation authorities, flights from a number of airports in southern Russia including Krasnodar, Sochi and Anapa were temporarily suspended," Russian agencies quoted an aviation official as saying. Flights from Rostov airport were also cancelled, local media reported.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday denounced Russia's attack on Ukraine and vowed to hold Moscow "accountable".
"We strongly condemn Russia's unjustified attack on Ukraine. In these dark hours, our thoughts are with Ukraine and the innocent women, men and children as they face this unprovoked attack and fear for their lives," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.
"We will hold the Kremlin accountable."
US President Joe Biden spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky soon after Russia launched an attack on Ukraine, the White House said late Wednesday in Washington.
Biden "just spoke with Zelensky," a spokesman said, adding that details would be issued later.
The United States will present the United Nations Security Council with a resolution condemning Russia for its actions against Ukraine on Thursday, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced Wednesday evening.
"The Council will need to act, and we will put a resolution on the table tomorrow," said Thomas-Greenfield, although an American official speaking anonymously later clarified that the vote, in which Russia holds a veto, will likely come on Friday.
Air India flight returns to Delhi as Ukraine closes airspace amid Russian attack
Russia's ambassador to the United Nations told an emergency Security Council meeting late Wednesday that Moscow's military operation against Ukraine was targeting "the junta" in power in Kiyv, reported AFP.
"I wanted to say in conclusion that we aren't being aggressive against the Ukrainian people but against the junta that is in power in Kiyv," said Vassily Nebenzia.
Explosions rang out in the dawn hours Thursday in Kharkiv, a major city just south of the Russian border, after Russia's President Vladimir Putin launched a military operation.
The city, Ukraine's second-largest, lies 35 kilometres (20 miles) south of the Russia border and outside the eastern zone where Ukrainian forces have been battling Moscow-backed insurgents since 2014.
Explosions rang out before dawn Thursday in Ukraine's capital Kyiv and several cities near the frontline and along the country's coast, after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation, reported AFP.
AFP correspondents also heard blasts in the Black Sea port city of Odessa, with police and ambulance sirens heard across the Ukrainian capital city.
Explosions also rang out in Kharkiv, a large city 35 kilometres (20 miles) south of the Russian border.
Four loud blasts rang out in Kramatorsk, a frontline city that serves as the Ukrainian government's effective capital for the eastern war zone, and more were heard in the eastern port city of Mariupol, AFP reporters said.
Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations implored the Security Council, chaired by Russia, to "do everything possible to stop the war" against his country.
"It is the responsibility of these bodies to stop the war," Sergiy Kyslytsya told a late-night meeting of the 15-member council which began shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Russia's leader President Vladimir Putin of launching a "full-scale invasion" on Thursday, as explosions were heard in cities around the country, reported AFP.
"Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes," Kuleba tweeted.
"This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now."
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday denounced Russia's "reckless and unprovoked attack" on Ukraine, warning it put "countless" lives in jeopardy.
"I strongly condemn Russia's reckless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which puts at risk countless civilian lives. Once again, despite our repeated warnings and tireless efforts to engage in diplomacy, Russia has chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country," Stoltenberg said in a statement.
Ukraine Closing Airspace To Civilian Planes: Official
Explosions In Ukraine's Black Sea Port Odessa: News Agency AFP
From Russia's massing of soldiers along the border in November to Vladimir Putin announcing a military operation, here is a timeline of months of tensions around Ukraine -
India has said hostility between Russia and Ukraine if not checked would spiral into a major crisis that can severely destabilize the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin this morning ordered Russian special forces to move into separatist controlled areas in eastern Ukraine, which Russia has formally recognised as independent nations.
"The situation is in danger of spiralling into a major crisis. We express our deep concern over the developments, which if not handled carefully, may well undermine the peace and security of the region," India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations TS Tirumurti said.
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said the "world will hold Russia accountable" over its attack on Ukraine that he warned will cause "catastrophic loss of life."
In a statement issued shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of military operations in Ukraine, Biden said he would address the US public on Thursday to outline the "consequences" for Russia, calling the attack "unprovoked and unjustified."
Unfazed by the economic sanctions, Russia today announced a "military operation" in Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin asking the military of its western neighbour to "lay down its arms".
The United States reacted to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Moscow by saying that it is the responsibility of every "responsible" country to voice objection to Russia's actions in Ukraine. The US has informed Pakistan about its position on the situation in Ukraine, the US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday.
"We've communicated to Pakistan our position regarding Russia's further renewed invasion of Ukraine and we have briefed them on our efforts to pursue diplomacy over war," Price said during a press briefing when asked about Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's scheduled meeting with Russians President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
The United States views its partnership with Ukraine as critical to US interests, Price added.
At least five explosions were heard in the separatist-held eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk early on Thursday, a Reuters witness said.
Following the blasts, four military trucks could be seen heading for the scene. Hours earlier, the Kremlin said two separatist breakaway regions in Ukraine had asked for Russian help to repel "aggression" by the Ukrainian army.
Twitter acknowledged Wednesday it suspended in error some accounts relaying information about Russian military movements as the threat builds for an attack on Ukraine, reported AFP.
The social network has begun restoring access to the users, which were taken down due to "our work to proactively address manipulated media," tweeted the platform's head of site integrity Yoel Roth.
A company spokesperson said earlier claims that the accounts were taken offline by a coordinated campaign or mass complaints were untrue.
France on Wednesday became the latest Western nation to call on its citizens to leave Ukraine "without delay," amid mounting concerns that Russia is preparing a full-scale attack.
"In the context of serious tensions caused by the concentration of Russian troops on Ukraine's borders" as well as Russia's recognition of two separatist regions and Ukraine's imposition of a state of emergency, "French citizens finding themselves in Ukraine should leave the country without delay," France's foreign ministry said in a statement.
The EU on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Russia's defence minister Sergei Shoigu and military chiefs as part of a package of measures over the Kremlin's recognition of two separatist Ukrainian regions as independent.
The 27-nation bloc slapped asset freezes and visa bans on high-ranking figures including the commanders of Russia's army, navy and air force, the Kremlin's chief of staff, the head of state-run television channel RT and the foreign ministry's spokeswoman, according to the EU's official journal.
