Explosions heard in Ukraine capital Kyiv, other cities

ukraine parliament

This photograph taken on February 23, 2022 shows the Ukrainian the flag fluttering above the dome of the parliament in Kyiv. AFP

KYIV — 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.

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 kilometers (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 closed its airspace to civilian planes, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that his country was facing a “full-scale invasion.”

RELATED STORIES

UK says: The Russian invasion of Ukraine has begun

Putin says Russia’s interests ‘non-negotiable’

Freeze or full invasion? Scenarios for Russia in Ukraine

US and allies unveil more sanctions against Russia

Read more...