Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, day one. Timeline of events, February, 24

Main events of the first day of Russia’s attack on Ukraine:

Around 5:30 am, Putin announced the beginning of a “special operation” in Ukraine. Putin’s two official reasons for invading were (1) the “genocide” of the Russian-speaking population and (2) stopping NATO’s eastward expansion.

Soon after, the UN Security Council met and urged Putin to withdraw troops and “give peace a chance”.

Ukraine severed diplomatic relations with Russia.

During the day, warning sirens sounded in two large cities of Ukraine – residents of Kiev and Kharkov were forced to hide in the subway.

At 21.00, the Prime Minister of Ukraine announced that the Russian military had occupied one of the most important facilities in Ukraine – the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Now the station is under Russia’s control.

There are victims, although their exact number remains unclear. By 13:00, the presidential administration of Ukraine reported the loss of more than 40 servicemen, by the evening another 13 people were killed in the Kherson region and 22 in the Odessa region. Russia has not reported any losses.

The OSCE is evacuating its employees from Ukraine. This means that there will no longer be independent oversight of the conflict.

The Czech Republic and Latvia have suspended the issue of visas to Russians. The Czech President called on the European Union to disconnect Russia from the SWIFT system.

There is a record fall in the Russian stock market: the dollar exceeds 89 rubles, the euro has reached 100 rubles. Experts say these numbers are worse than the 1998 default. Some transactions are not available in banking applications.

Russian President Putin called the war a “coercive measure”.

British Prime Minister Johnson announced a package of new sanctions: they target Aeroflot, Sberbank, VTB Bank and other large Russian companies. VTB shares fell by more than 42% in a day, Aeroflot – by more than 31%.

London will not rest until Russia’s economy is destroyed and Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are restored, British Foreign Office said

More than 1,739 people were arrested at pickets and demonstrations against the war in 44 cities of Russia (data from OVD-Info).

PHOTO: People spend the night in the subway in Kharkiv

“Putin, this one’s for you! No more Soviet Union!” – A participant in today’s rally near the parliament in Tbilisi solemnly burned his Soviet passport, which he had kept to this day. Photo: Bashir Kitachaev/JAMnews. Full report from the rally

Newsweek, citing three US intelligence sources: according to the US, Russian troops will occupy Kiev in 96 hours. “Putin’s goal is to force Ukraine to either surrender or be destroyed. The bombing and capture of some facilities, including the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, is just the beginning. As soon as [the bombing] ends with the use of aircraft and artillery, a real ground war will begin, and I think that Kiev will fall in a few days”, an anonymous former senior US intelligence official told Newsweek.

Biden said that measures will be taken that will bring “devastating consequences for Russia”: “Our sanctions against Russian banks will have a greater effect than disconnecting it from SWIFT, however, that is still one of the options”.

US sanctions against Russia, which will be announced on Thursday, will affect oil companies, Russian entrepreneurs and Putin personally, Bloomberg reports.

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has been banned from entering the UK.

The US imposes sanctions against Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank, Otkritie Bank, Sovcombank and Novikombank. Shares of the main financial banking structure – Sberbank – have already collapsed by 40%.

Two hours after Aeroflot came under British sanctions, its shares fell by 31%.

British Prime Minister Johnson: Britain is ready to give asylum to the leadership of Ukraine

600 people were detained in Moscow at a protest against the war that Russia is waging in Ukraine, the Russian Interior Ministry said.

VIDEO: Bomb shelter in Kharkiv metro

? British Prime Minister Johnson: Britain imposes restrictions on the amount that Russians can keep in their bank accounts in Britain. The UK also freezes all assets of the Russian bank VTB and imposes sanctions against Aeroflot.

? G7 leaders issued a statement condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and expressing strong support for Kiev. “We condemn President Putin for his consistent refusal to participate in the diplomatic process to resolve European security issues, despite our repeated proposals. Vladimir Putin has put himself on the wrong side of history”, CNN quoted the statement.

? “The attacks on Ukraine are part of the initial phase of a large-scale Russian invasion”, the US Department of Defense source told CNN: “They are beginning a march on Kiev. It is our assessment that they have every intention of effectively decapitating the government and establishing their own administration”.

? The capture of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been confirmed. “After a fierce battle, our control over the Chernobyl site has been lost. The status of station facilities is unknown. This is one of the most serious threats to Europe today”, said Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine. Earlier, President Zelensky said that he had informed the Prime Minister of Sweden about the battles for the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. “This is a declaration of war on all of Europe. If you don’t help us today, the war will hit you tomorrow”, Zelensky said.

? “Part of the Kherson region came under the control of the Russian armed forces”, the Kherson regional administration announced on Facebook. President Zelensky said that “the biggest problem now is in the south, there fighting near Kherson is ongoing”.

? President Zelensky called on the EU to introduce a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

? The Russian stock market today showed a record collapse. Putin met with Russian businessmen in the Kremlin and said that “Russia remains part of the global economy. We are not going to harm the system we are in. Our partners need to understand this”.

? Russian Ministry of Defense: Russian troops have successfully completed all the tasks set for the day. 83 ground military infrastructure facilities of Ukraine were destroyed, two Ukrainian Su-27s, two Su-24s, one helicopter and four TB-2 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down.

? President of Ukraine Zelensky: “Ukraine proposes to return to the path of peace. If you understand us, go to the square and demand an end to the war. Russia has already received the toughest sanctions in history”.

? Protests are taking place in dozens of Russian cities, hundreds of people have already been detained.

VIDEO: Participants of an anti-war rally in Moscow chant “No to war”:

Armenia has not yet issued an official response to the events that are currently unfolding in Ukraine. However, since the morning, various politicians, political scientists and journalists have been reacting to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.  Along with assessing the actions of Russia, Ukraine and the West, they expressed concern about the political and economic risks that the conflict poses for Armenia. Local expert community raises the issue of concentrating efforts to ensure the security of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Comments of Armenian politicians and political scientists

There has been no official response from the Azerbaijani authorities yet, however, Azerbaijani society has already condemned Russia‘s military invasion of Ukraine. Users of local segment of social media condemn the actions of the Russian authorities and express their full support for the Ukrainian people.

“This is more than a crime” – Baku reacts to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 

A rally in support of Ukraine is taking place in Tbilisi. Photo: Luka Changelia / JAMnews

 An “anti-Putin coalition” has been created, Zelensky  announced on his Twitter, saying that he discussed the issue of sanctions against Russia and assistance to Ukraine with the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the President of France, the Chancellor of Austria and the President of Turkey.

President of Ukraine Zelensky: “Russian invaders are trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, they are moving in this direction from Belarus”.

A curfew has been introduced in Kyiv from 22:00 to 07:00.

Russian Defense Ministry: 74 of Ukraine’s military infrastructure facilities  were put out of action, including 11 airfields and 18 air defense radar stations, a naval base, and three command posts. A Ukrainian combat helicopter and 4 drones were shot down. Also, the Ukrainian SU-25 attack aircraft lost control due to pilot error, the pilot was not injured. 14 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered to Russia.

Most of the embassies have recently left Kyiv and moved to Lviv. An air raid alert is being sounded. The US Embassy in Ukraine is warning its citizens not to go out and stay in their homes.

French President Macron said that Russia’s actions in Ukraine violate the UN Charter. “New EU sanctions against Russia will be painful for its military, economy and energy”.

“Anti-Russian sanctions will be tough”, said Italian Prime Minister Draghi. He said that Italy would take part in strengthening NATO’s eastern flank.

Britain will impose large-scale sanctions against Russia, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

The final match of the Champions League in St. Petersburg has been cancelled. UEFA has already decided to move it to another country. The UEFA meeting will take place tomorrow, however, according to the Associated Press, the decision has already been made, the league final will be held on May 28.

PHOTO: Damaged Ukrainian military facility near Mariupol. Associated Press:

PHOTO: People flee from the bombing in the subway in Kharkiv

Protest in Novosibirsk, Russia. People came with posters “No to war!”. Everyone who had been holding posters was detained by the police

Protest in front of the Russian Embassy was organized by the European Party of Armenia. Its leader, Tigran Khzmalyan, said that the invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine is an inhuman act that cannot be justified:

“We have come here now to show Armenia, Ukraine and the whole world that we are united, that we understand and realize that our struggle is common and our freedom is indivisible. Putin says security is indivisible. In fact, freedom is indivisible, human values ​​are indivisible, we came here with this clear message”.

Ukrainians also took part in the action. “We want Armenia to support us in this difficult time”, one of them said.

The action ended with the performance of the anthems of Ukraine and Armenia.

Border Service of Ukraine: Russian troops went to break through the border into the Kiev region, battles are ongoing.

NATO head Stoltenberg said he had no plans to close the Bosphorus to Russian ships.

Turkish President Erdogan: “Turkey supports Ukraine’s actions to protect its territorial integrity”.

Czech President Zeman: “Russia has committed a crime against humanity. I have already said before that Russians are not crazy enough to attack Ukraine, now I see that I was wrong. Crazy people need to be isolated.  Isolation and loneliness is awaiting Russia. Pictured is Zeman with Putin, the Czech president has so far been considered the most pro-Russian leader in Europe.

“Putin is ready for negotiations with the Ukrainian leadership, but the topic should be the neutral status of Ukraine. Ukraine must refuse to deploy weapons,” Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian president, said.

The Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta writes: “Russia is fighting on two fronts. One war on the Ukrainian front, the other against their own citizens.” In St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, activists who held solo pickets were detained. Human rights activist Marina Litvinovich was also detained while leaving her house in Moscow. She called on social networks today to go to the central squares of different cities of Russia at 19:00 in protest against the war.

Footage of air combat in the sky near Kiev:

The leadership of the European Union announced that it will adopt new sanctions against Russia today.

Czech President Zeman took the initiative to disconnect Russia from SWIFT. Until now, he has been widely regarded as as one of the most pro-Russian politicians in Europe. Reuters reports, citing sources in the EU, that this decision will not be included in the new package of sanctions. There have been no official comments yet.

NATO statement: “Russia’s actions are a serious threat to North Atlantic security. NATO will take additional steps to ensure the security of its allies. Russian leadership must be held accountable for the attack on Ukraine. “Russia will pay a very high economic and political price”.

The Minister of Justice of Estonia demanded that the operators immediately stop broadcasting all Russian TV channels.

Belgium proposes to suspend Schengen visas for all Russian citizens.

In Russia, it is forbidden for local media to use any information other than official Russian sources. Roskomnadzor warned that publications could be fined and blocked for disseminating “false information”.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that he “would like to place Russian Iskander and S-400 Triumph missile systems on his territory”, BelTA reports. Lukashenka also said that Belarus “will not be drawn into the war”, and that “the West is unlikely to participate in the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. This issue must be resolved by the three Slavic states”.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine: Ukrainian troops recaptured the city of Shuster in the Luhansk region.

According to Kiev, the Ukrainian military shot down six Russian aircraft and destroyed four tanks.

There are big traffic jams at the exit from Kiev — people are trying to escape the city.

VIDEO: Russia fires cruise missiles at military facilities in Brovary (a suburb of Kiev), says adviser to Interior Minister Gerashchenko

“Military attack on a sovereign country is unacceptable” –  President Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Garibashvili and Speaker of Georgian Parliament expressed their support for Ukraine.

PHOTO: Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala described Russia’s actions against a sovereign state as ;unjustified aggression’. The Czech government has also called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council. “War is closer than we can imagine. Literally. War is closer than we are eager to admit. By supporting Ukraine, we are protecting our country”, said Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan. Czech President Milos Zeman, who is considered pro-Russian, remains silent.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that war is the worst-case scenario, but refrained from directly condemning Russia’s actions. Hungarian President Viktor Orban will attend the EU leaders’ summit today in Brussels.

Poland actively supports Ukraine. Refugee centers will be set up in two regions of Poland, not far from the border with Ukraine. Poland also demanded the implementation of Article 4 of the NATO Charter. According to this article, in case of danger to one of the Member States, others must hold emergency consultations.

Latvia also called on NATO to respond. The leaders called Russia’s actions “military aggression against the sovereignty of Ukraine, its people and democracy”.

Lithuania and Moldova have declared a state of emergency.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that the country is ready to accept tens of thousands of people from Ukraine. According to Moldovan media, a lot of cars have accumulated on the border between Ukraine and Moldova.

According to Romanian media, the country has already started accepting Ukrainian refugees. Local authorities reported that approximately 300 people have arrived in recent days. President Klaus Johannes previously called Russia’s actions “a gross violation of international law, the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine”.

South Korea has announced that it will join the sanctions against Russia.

Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen: “Ukraine and its people will prevail. We will not allow Putin to destroy Europe’s security architecture”.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Moldova appealed to Parliament with a request to introduce a state of emergency due to the situation in Ukraine.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko: “Belarusian troops do not participate in the Russian special operation in Ukraine. The military leadership of Ukraine was warned about a possible Russian special operation but did not take any steps in response”.

The General Staff of Ukraine reported four knocked-out Russian tanks, five downed planes, and fifty Russian servicemen killed. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on this statement.

VIDEO: Military equipment enters Ukraine from Belarus through the Senkovka border post:

PHOTO: A street in Kyiv hit by an airstrike. AFP

PHOTO: The result of an airstrike in Kharkiv

VIDEO: Part of the Ukrainian air defense in the area of the airport in Mariupol. The commentator on the video says: “Everything is bombed, smashed”

Turkish President Erdogan has requested an urgent Security Council meeting. Earlier, Kyiv asked Turkey to close the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles to Russia. According to the Montreux Convention, Turkey has the right to prohibit entry of any state warships if this state is involved in the war or if the war directly threatens Turkey.

Latvia has banned the broadcasting of Russian propaganda channels on its territory.

Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine: The invasion of Russian troops is preceded by artillery fire, then comes military equipment. This has already happened in Chernihiv, Sumy, Luhansk, Kharkiv regions. Most of the border units in the Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkov, Chernihiv and Zhytomyr regions were bombed.

PHOTO: Russian ground forces in Kharkov:

Border Service of Ukraine: Russian military equipment crossed the border of Ukraine in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions, as well as Crimea.

The artillery of the so-called LPR is firing on the territory of Ukraine, RIA Novosti reports.

Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine: in the military unit of the Odesa region, six people were killed, seven were injured, 19 people went missing. In Mariupol, one person died, two were wounded.

A residential building was bombed near Kharkiv. The number of victims is unknown, Reuters stringer reports from the scene.

President Zelensky urged the population not to panic and resist Russian aggression. He said that he was negotiating with Western leaders to create an anti-Putin coalition.

Residents of Kyiv are trying to leave the city, on social media, there is a video of 4 km-long traffic jams.

An unprecedented fall of the ruble: for the first time since December 2014, the euro costs 99.99 rubles, while the cost of the dollar has exceeded 89 rubles, Moscow Exchange reports.

PHOTO OF A HOUSE NEAR KHARKOV DESTROYED BY SHELLING

Footage of the morning strikes of Russian troops in Ukraine published by @hueviykharkov

US President Joe Biden, in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the US would impose new very tough sanctions against Russia.

Biden: “Tomorrow I will meet with the leaders of the G7, and the US and our allies and partners will impose tough sanctions against Russia. We will continue to support and help Ukraine and the Ukrainian people”.

Statement of the General Staff of Ukraine: Russia attacked six airfields – Borispol, Ozerny, Kulbakin, Chuguev, Kramatorsk, Chernobyovka. Artillery fire continues along the border. Information about the landing of Russian troops in Odessa is not true.

Statement by the Russian Defense Ministry: “The infrastructure of the Ukrainian military airbases has been disabled by bombing. The Ukrainian border service does not oppose Russian units. The information about the downed Russian plane is not true”.

Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan flew to Moscow. The press service of the Armenian Defense Ministry writes that “during the visit, meetings are planned with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other high-ranking officials”.

Putin launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine at 6:30 am.

The Russian military is firing ballistic missiles at Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Zaporozhye, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, Kramatorsk, Mariupol and other border cities. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine urges people to hide in bomb shelters. Media reports that the air defense of the Turkish Bayraktar system successfully repels strikes.

Putin is threatening to attack other countries if they intervene.

The Security Council of Ukraine has declared martial law, confirmed that Russia is attacking airfields and other military infrastructure.

Ukraine completely closed the sky for aircraft. It is impossible to fly out of cities. Russia closed the airspace near the border with Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry says it does not attack cities and only destroys military facilities.

The Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported that Russian tanks crossed the border between Belarus and Ukraine. CNN released the footage.

The outbreak of hostilities was discussed at a meeting of the UN Security Council, the permanent representative of Ukraine accused Russia of starting a war, the permanent representative of Russia announced a “justified military operation”.

On February 21, Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk. On the same day, the President of Russia gave order to send troops to the Donbas.

In response, Germany and the United States suspended the certification process for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

The British Prime Minister has imposed new sanctions against Russia.

The European Union also announced the imposition of sanctions against Russia, in particular, against 351 deputies of the Russian State Duma – those who supported the recognition of the independence of the so-called DNR and LNR. Sanctions  will also be applied to 27 individuals and legal entities and will affect banks and organizations that finance Russian operations in the Donbas.

The United States has also imposed sanctions on Russia. According to President Biden, the sanctions will affect two financial institutions. Sanctions will also be imposed against the Russian elite and their families. Joe Biden noted that he will also deploy additional troops to the Baltic countries.

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