US President Joe Biden says he has spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, and briefed him on the steps he is taking "to rally international condemnation". In a statement, Biden says he condemned the attack as "unprovoked and unjustified".
Zelensky "asked me to call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin's flagrant aggression, and to stand with the people of Ukraine", Biden adds.
The US president says he will be meeting with G7 leaders on Thursday, and the US and allies "will be imposing severe sanctions on Russia".
"We will continue to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people," he says.
Russia's reported military action so far
BBC Kyiv correspondent James Waterhouse says a Ukrainian government official has given an indication of the breadth of the Russian military action so far.
The official says there have been cruise missile strikes launched this morning on Kyiv, as well as troop movements in Odesa to the south of the country.
Troops have also been crossing the border in Kharkiv, about 25 miles from the Russian border, the official says.
Early signs according to witnesses and government officials are that this is something quite large-scale, Waterhouse says.
There are also multiple reports from local media citing Ukraine's Interior Ministry which says some of the missile strikes have attacked Ukraine's military missile command centers and military headquarters in Kyiv.
Russia's defense ministry has denied attacking Ukrainian cities - saying it is targeting military infrastructure, air defense, and air forces with "high-precision weapons".
Time to 'up pain level' on Russia, says US Senator
US Senator Mark Warner, the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said it is time to "up the pain level" on Russia following the beginning of its military operation in Ukraine.
In a statement, Warner said that US lawmakers from both sides of the political spectrum should come together - along with US allies - to "demonstrate to Putin that this aggression will not be allowed to go unpunished".
Warner added that Russia's operation in Ukraine is a tragedy for the Russian and Ukrainian people alike."They [Russians] will pay a steep cost for Putin's reckless ambition, in blood and in economic harm," he added.
UK and allies will respond decisively, says Boris Johnson
Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is "appalled by the horrific events in Ukraine" and that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack".
He adds that he has spoken to Ukraine's president to discuss how to respond and promises decisive action by the UK and allies.
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No-one expected this full-on assault on their country'
Kramatorsk, Donetsk region: I was woken shortly before 5 am by a loud thud.
I was barely asleep anyway, still dressed, after Ukraine President Zelensky’s passionate dawn appeal directly to the Russian people to stop this war.
It sounded even then like a last-ditch effort; hopeless.
Rushing to pack, I watched Vladimir Putin in Moscow, snarling about a supposed "genocide" here in eastern Ukraine - which is a flat lie - and the need for "denazification" in Ukraine. It was surreal.
So was the chilling threat to the West not to intervene: Putin had already reminded us that he has nuclear weapons.
Only last night in Kramatorsk I was with crowds of hundreds who were on the main square, wrapped in Ukrainian flags and mounting a small act of defiance, singing the anthem and patriotic songs. There were lots of children.
Last night, the restaurants were busy. Flower shops open. Cars on the streets. Everyone I spoke to was scared. No one knew what to expect.
But I don’t think they expected this full-on assault on their country.
Now people I’ve spoken to are frightened, it’s like they’re frozen. No one even knows where to run to, if they wanted.
Source: BBC
