Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked citizens who were ready to defend the country from Russian forces to come forward and said that Kviy will issue weapons to everyone who wants them. He also urged Russians to come out and protest against the war.
Zelenskiy on his Twitter said, 'We have severed diplomatic relations with Russia. For all those who have not yet lost their conscience in Russia, it is time to go out and protest against the war with Ukraine.'
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.