Ukraine-Russia crisis: Several dead as Moscow launches 'full-scale invasion'
Several of people are reported to have been killed after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday morning.
In a televised address on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the "special military operation" was aimed at the "demilitarisation and denazification" of the country.
Missile strikes and explosions have been reported in several parts of Ukraine, as Russian forces entered from the north, south and east.
Russian ground forces have reportedly entered the Kyiv region of Ukraine, advancing on the nation's capital.
Ukraine border guards said troops broke into the Kyiv Oblast through the north, staging an attack with Grad missiles on government positions.
An AFP reporter in the northern part of Ukraine's capital also saw several low-flying helicopters flying toward the city, amid reports that an airfield was under attack.
Three Russian helicopters were reported to have been shot down in an attack on an airbase near Kyiv.
Ukraine military plane shot down
A Ukrainian military plane was shot down near the capital, killing several people, Ukrainian police and the state emergency service said.
Ukraine said its forces had killed around 50 “Russian occupiers” while taking back control of the eastern frontline town of Shchastya, according to AFP, which said it could not independently confirm the claim.
Ukrainian official Anton Herashchenko said six people were killed and seven injured in an attack on a military base outside the Black Sea port of Odessa and one person had died in shelling in Mariupol.
Russia's Interfax news agency said witnesses had reported strikes at the Bayraktar drones bases in Donbas, in territory controlled by Kyiv.
Earlier this month, Ukraine and Turkey signed a series of agreements - including a deal that will expand the production capabilities of Turkish drone-maker Baykar, which saw its drones deployed last year in Kyiv's war against Russian-backed separatists in its eastern Donbas region.
In a Facebook message, Ukrainian Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov called on every Ukrainian citizen who can hold a weapon to join the ranks of the military through local troops fighting the Russian invasion.
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a phone call on Thursday from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who briefed him on the latest developments in Ukraine, Qatar's state news agency said.
Al Thani called on all parties to exercise restraint and resolve the crisis through diplomatic means, the statement added.
Iran urged its citizens residing in Ukraine to leave the country, Iran's semi-official Isna news agency reported on Thursday.
Iran's embassy in Ukraine is currently working on obtaining flight permits for the evacuation flights, given that Ukrainian airspace is currently closed, Isna added.
Appeal to Turkey
In televised remarks, Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, called on Ankara for help, asking it to close the Bosphorus straits to Russian ships.
“We call on our strategic partner Turkey to support us in these difficult times,” said Bodnar.
“We call on Turkey to close its air space to Russian planes, and to close the Dardanelles and Bosphorus to Russian ships.”
Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has said that "this is not a Russian invasion only in the east of Ukraine, but a full-scale attack from multiple directions."
He implored the United Nations to "do everything possible" to stop it, while tweeting that: "Ukraine stands with both feet on the ground & continues to defend itself."
Turkey, an ally of both sides, said it would convene a national security council meeting over the matter.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country supported Ukraine's struggle to protect its "territorial integrity" in a tweet on Thursday.
"We sincerely regret that Russia and Ukraine, which we see as friendly countries and with whom we have close political, economic and social relations, come face to face in this way," he added.
The Turkish foreign ministry said it would provide necessary support and guidance to citizens wishing to leave Ukraine.
The ministry also advised Turkish citizens to stay at home or in a safe place and avoid travelling.
Earlier on Thursday, flag carrier Turkish Airlines said it cancelled all flights to Ukraine on 24 February because of the closure of Ukrainian air space.
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