Strong explosions were reported in Ukrainian cities a Odessa, Kharvik, Mariupol, Lviv and in the capital Kiev, where the Russians allegedly attempted to take control of the airport. Navigation blocked in Sea of Azov. Russian tanks, with the 'Z' mark on the sides, would have entered Ukraine from numerous points on the border, including from Belarus e Crimea. The Russian defense ministry announced: "Crush the air defenses"Ukrainian, Kiev said he shot down five Russian planes and a helicopter and claims to have "killed 50 occupants". The Belarusian president lukashenko summoned the heads of the armed forces, but made it clear that Minsk troops do not participate in the invasion. However, the Russian military is also entering Ukraine from Belarus and Crimea. Panic broke out immediately among the civilian population who are trying to leave the cities. Queues have formed in front of petrol stations in Kiev and traffic is "intense"Especially in the suburbs, with long columns of cars stopped trying to get away from the center. An eyewitness told ANSA: "They're evacuating us from the offices. For now we are in Kiev, then we'll see". Set martial law in the country. The response of the Ukrainian president was very harsh Volodymyr Zelensky who in a tweet asked to "stop Putin and the war against Ukraine and the world. Building an anti-Putin coalition. Immediate sanctions and support for Ukraine ". The Ukrainian leader also urged the army to "inflict maximum losses"To the Russian forces. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba assured that "Ukraine will defend itself and win. The world can and must stop Putin: the time to act is now ".
The condemnation of the West. For the US president Biden, who telephoned Zelensky and announced new harsh sanctions against Moscow together with the allies, “Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will lead to a catastrophic loss of life and suffering". The British premier Johnson spoke of "darker hour " admonishing that "Gb and the West will not stand by and watch". The French president Macron he asked “The immediate end"Of Russian operations, while for the German Foreign Minister Baerbock"today we woke up in another world. We are speechless, but we are not helpless". The president of the EU Commission Von der leyen, the President of the European Council Michel they promise: “The EU will provide further political, financial and humanitarian assistance to Kiev. We will present a package of extensive sanctions today, we will weaken the Russian economy". "We will adopt the toughest package of measures ever adopted " adds the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Borrell.
Today meeting of the EU Council and the G7. OSCE alarm: "Serious risk for the lives of millions of people ". “It is the saddest moment of my mandate as UN secretary general. This war makes no sense and violates the principles of the UN Charter ", commented in turn the number one of the United Nations Guterres.
La NATO called an urgent meeting of the ambassadors and the secretary general Stoltenberg he reaffirmed that he will do "everything necessary to protect his allies".
The Chinese foreign minister Hua Chunying rejected “The preconceived use of words"Regarding the term"invasion".
The premier from Italy Draghi defined the Russian attack "Unjustified and unjustifiable. We are working with our European and NATO allies to respond immediately, with unity and determination ". Di Maio has summoned the crisis unit and speaks of "very serious and unjustified aggression ". The Farnesina summoned the Russian ambassador, the Interministerial Committee for the Security of the Republic met at Palazzo Chigi.
The reverberation of the crisis on the stock markets: gas prices jumped (+ 25,5% to 111,5 euros per megawatt hour, after a maximum of + 41% to 125 euros) and oil prices, with Brent exceeding $ 103 per barrel. With the stock exchanges peaking, Milan at -3,5%, the spread flies to 176 basis points. Moscow collapses to -45%, 180 billion in capitalization burned. Gold rises to its highest levels in a year: + 1%, at 1.928,80 dollars an ounce, bitcoin collapses.