Ukraine-Russia invasion: Putin announces ‘military operation’ in televised address

Vladimir Putin has warned the international community of “consequences greater than any you have faced in history” over any attempted interference as he declared the start of an invasion into Ukraine.

Mr Putin announced what he described as a “special military operation” in the breakaway eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass, saying that Russia was responding to pleas for help from the separatists there.

Yet shortly after Mr Putin’s televised address at around 6am in Moscow, explosions were heard outside Kiev itself and heavy clashes were reported in several major Ukrainian cities.

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