Russia-Ukraine (Feb. 24): Explosions Heard in Kyiv, Official Says Enemy Aircraft Downed

Ukrainian forces downed an enemy aircraft over Kyiv in the early hours of Friday, which then crashed into a residential building and set it on fire, said Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister.

It was unclear whether the aircraft was manned. Herashchenko wrote on Telegram that a nine-story residential building was on fire.

A series of explosions were heard in Kyiv earlier, which Herashchenko said were the sounds of air defences firing at the aircraft.

“We will work along with our partners for a rolling wave of sanctions and continuing to ratchet up that pressure on Russia,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said during a media conference.

Morrison voiced concerns over the “lack of strong response” from China and criticized Beijing about reports it had eased trade curbs with Moscow by allowing imports of wheat from Russia.

“You don’t go and throw a lifeline to Russia in the middle of a period when they are invading another country. That is simply unacceptable,” he said.

The legal texts for the sanctions agreed were expected to be finalized overnight and to be submitted for approval to EU foreign affairs ministers during a meeting scheduled Friday afternoon.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine’s invasion put into question Europe’s peace order and said the EU will hold the Kremlin accountable for its actions, saying sanctions will have a maximum impact on the Russian elite.

Von der Leyen said the package, decided in concertation with western allies, includes targeting 70 percent of the Russian banking market and key state-owned companies, including in defense.

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The mobilization order applies to the territories of Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytsky, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv regions, and the city of Kyiv.

The final draft resolution, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, would reaffirm the council’s commitment “to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.”

The council is scheduled to vote at 3 p.m. EST Friday.

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He added: “Please do not create panic and do not try to cross the border on your own! Victory is upon us! Glory to Ukraine!”

The country started enlisting reservists between those ages, according to Ukraine’s armed forces.

“We are giving away weapons and we will continue doing so to anyone who will ask for it in order to protect our sovereignty,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media. “Our future depends on each and every citizen.”

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“The director specially came to Kyiv to record all the events that are currently happening in Ukraine and to tell the world the truth about Russia’s invasion of our country,” the Ukrainian government said in a statement on Thursday. “Sean Penn is among those who support Ukraine in Ukraine today. Our country is grateful to him for such a show of courage and honesty.”

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Officials said that there is fighting within 20 miles of the center of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, as well as Kharkiv, one of the largest cities in Ukraine.

“These three axes are … clearly designed to take key population centers,” the official said.

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“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences,” Biden said, adding that the Untied States will use export controls against Moscow to “impose severe cost on the Russian economy, both immediately and over time.”

Biden, meanwhile, said he and Western powers would attempt to make Putin a “pariah on the international stage.”

They said that there were no casualties, according to Turkish officials. The ship was en route to Romanian waters, they said.

“Upon information that the Marshall Islands-flagged Turkish-owned Yasa Jupiter ship was struck by a bomb off the coast of Odessa, it was learned that the ship has no request for help, is en route to Romanian waters, has no casualties, and is safe,” the authority wrote on Twitter.

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The Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been captured by Russian forces, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Thursday.

“It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians,” he said.

“This is one of the most serious threats in Europe today,” Podolyak said.

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Zelensky said the move is a “declaration of war across Europe.”

A Ukraine advisor to Interior Ministry Anton Gerashchenko wrote on Facebook that Russian forces entered the exclusion zone.

“If the invaders artillery hits and ruins / damages the collectors of nuclear waste , radioactive nuclear dust can can [sic] be spread over the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and the country of the EU!” the advisor claimed.

In 1986, Chernobyl, which was operated by the Soviet Union, became the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident when a reactor exploded. The disaster spilled radioactive waste across Europe.

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The operation “has its goals and they need to be achieved,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state-run media when asked when the operation would end. He did not provide a timetable.

Moscow is determined to “neutralize the [Ukrainian] military potential, which was boosted considerably lately, including with the active assistance of foreign nations,” Peskov continued to say, without elaborating or providing details.

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“We are deploying additional defensive land and air forces to the eastern part of the Alliance, as well as additional maritime assets. We have increased the readiness of our forces to respond to all contingencies.”

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Ukrainian officials say the country’s military is fighting back and asked for Western defense assistance.

Russian forces have launched an attack on Ukraine from the north, east and south, according to a Ukrainian presidential adviser.

The adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said “the Ukrainian military is fighting hard.”

Podolyak said Thursday that “our army is fighting back inflicting significant losses to the enemy.” He said that there have been civilian casualties, but didn’t give details.

He said that “Ukraine now needs a greater and very specific support from the world—military-technical, financial as well as tough sanctions against Russia,” he said.

Oleksii Arestovich, another Ukrainian presidential adviser, said Thursday that several dozen people—about 40 so far—have been killed. He didn’t specify whether the casualties included civilians.

Zelensky said the Ukrainian authorities will hand weapons to all those willing to defend the country.

“The future of the Ukrainian people depends on every Ukrainian,” he said, urging all those who can defend the country to come to the Interior Ministry’s assembly facilities.

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Russia’s ministry of defense issued a statement saying that its military is targeting Ukraine’s military infrastructure.

Zelenskyy has directed the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, Major General Valeriy Zaluzhny, to “inflict maximum losses against the aggressor,” according to AFP.

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U.S. crude futures were up by 5.46 percent and trading at $97.56 per barrel as of 10:27 a.m. GMT, while Brent crude futures were up 6.47 percent at $103.32, the first time they have been over the $100 mark since 2014.

Meanwhile, natural gas prices at one point surged nearly 6 percent.

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“There are reports of Russian attacks on targets in a number of major Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Mariupol,” the embassy said on Twitter.

Americans were also advised to “immediately seek cover” if they hear a loud explosion or sirens are activated.

“If in a home or a building, go to the lowest level of the structure with the fewest exterior walls, windows, and openings; close any doors and sit near an interior wall, away from any windows or openings. If you are outdoors, immediately seek cover in a hardened structure; if that is not possible, lie down and cover your head with your hands.

“Be aware that even if the incoming missile or drone is intercepted, falling debris represents a significant risk. After the attack, stay away from any debris, and monitor major news outlets for official guidance.

“Further Russian military action can occur at any time without warning. U.S. citizens throughout Ukraine are strongly encouraged to remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. Know the location of your closest shelter or protected space.”

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In a short video address to the nation, Zelensky said that Russia has conducted strikes on Ukraine’s military infrastructure and border guards, adding that explosions have been heard in “many cities of Ukraine.”

He said he had just spoken to U.S. President Joe Biden and that the United States is planning to more send military assistance to Kyiv.

Zelensky also urged Ukrainians to keep calm and remain at home.

“We are working. The army is working. The whole sector of defense and security is working,” he said.

Separately, the Ukrainian president urged global leaders to provide defense assistance to Ukraine.

He said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has unleashed a war with Ukraine and the entire democratic world.” He added that the Russian leader “wants to destroy our state, everything that we have built.”

“I talked to [US President Joe] Biden, [UK Prime Minister Boris] Johnson, [President of the European Council] Charles Michel, [Polish President Andrzej] Duda, [Lithuanian President Gitanas] Nauseda. We started putting together an anti-Putin coalition,” he added. “I have already urged global leaders to slam Putin with all possible sanctions, offer large-scale defense support and close the airspace over Ukraine for the aggressor. Together we must save Ukraine, save the democratic world, and we will do it.”

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“An amphibious assault on the key port city of Mariupol is now underway,” he added. “Ground forces now moving in from Belarus, Crimea, and from Russia.”

Ukraine announced early Thursday that passengers and staff have been evacuated from Kyiv airport.

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Putin said in an emergency televised address that the military operation is intended to protect civilians and to demilitarize Ukraine, and is a response to threats coming from Ukraine.

He said that Russia doesn’t plan to occupy Ukraine and said that the Ukrainian military should “immediately lay down its arms.”

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“Under these circumstances, the aforementioned airspace and critical infrastructure, including airports, are exposed to military activities which result in safety risks for civil aircraft. In particular, there is a risk of both intentional targeting and misidentification of civil aircraft,” the agency said.

EASA said Russia’s defence ministry had sent Ukraine an urgent message warning of a high risk to flight safety, due to the use of weapons and military equipment from 2:45 a.m. local time, and asked Ukraine’s air traffic control to stop flights.

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