In photos: Scenes from Ukraine this morning
After months of
military buildup and brinkmanship, Russian forces have begun an invasion of Ukraine.
Thursday saw reports of troops crossing the border to the north and south, explosions in multiple cities including the capital Kyiv and warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin of bloodshed unless Ukrainian forces lay down their arms.
A wounded woman is seen after an airstrike damages an apartment complex outside of Kharkiv, Ukraine, on February 24. (Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The first blasts were heard at around 5 a.m. Thursday, prompting
immediate condemnation from the United States and its allies, which have threatened to enact "full scale" sanctions in response to Russian military aggression.
The escalation in the years-long conflict has triggered the greatest security crisis on the European continent since the Cold War, raising the specter of a dangerous showdown between Western powers and Moscow.
People on a bus leaving from the main bus station in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24. (Timothy Fadek/Redux for CNN)
As air raid sirens rang out across Kyiv early Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky moved to enact martial law and government ministers accused Moscow of launching a "full-scale invasion." As dawn broke, heavy traffic could be seen clogging roads heading west out of the city, while further east, near the Russian border, the mayor of Kharkiv urged citizens not to leave their homes.
Police officers inspect the remains of a missile that fell in the street in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)