The Ukrainian Interior Ministry on Thursday said that three Russian helicopters were shot down in the Kyiv region. The ministry said in a statement published on its website, which states “One Russian helicopter K-52 and three helicopters near Gostomel were shot down in the Kyiv region, near Mezhyhirya."
Earlier on Thursday the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces also said that six Russian planes had been shot down as forces attacked Ukraine. But Russian military denied the claims.
Early this morning Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday with explosions heard across the country and its foreign minister warning a "full-scale invasion" was underway. In the following hours, blasts were heard at several major cities across the eastern European country, and news agency Reuters reported missile strikes at Ukrainian military installations in the capital Kyiv. The military said that it shot down five Russian planes and one military helicopter was shot down in the Luhansk region. Moments later, Russia officially accepted that it destroyed Ukrainian airbases and air defenses.