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| UK condemns unprovoked Russian attack on Ukraine | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The UK will respond decisively to Russia's "unprovoked attack" on Ukraine, says PM Boris Johnson. | |
| The PM said he was appalled after President Putin launched a military operation in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. | |
| Mr Putin said he did not plan to occupy the country, but Ukraine has branded it a "full-scale invasion". | |
| The PM will chair a Cobra meeting shortly to discuss the "horrific attacks". | |
| In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Johnson said the people of Ukraine were in the UK's thoughts, a No 10 spokesperson said. | |
| The prime minister told Mr Zelensky the West "would not stand by as President Putin waged his campaign against the Ukrainian people". | The prime minister told Mr Zelensky the West "would not stand by as President Putin waged his campaign against the Ukrainian people". |
| Mr Johnson wrote on Twitter: "President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine." | |
| In a tweet, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the UK stood with Ukraine and would work with international partners to respond to Russia's "terrible act of aggression". | In a tweet, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the UK stood with Ukraine and would work with international partners to respond to Russia's "terrible act of aggression". |
| Russian forces have launched an assault on Ukraine, with reports of explosions near major cities across the country. | |
| Ukraine has declared a month-long state of emergency, as Russia said it had carried out air strikes on Ukraine's military infrastructure and border guard units and not targeted populated areas. | |
| President Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine's Donbas region in a televised address to the Russian people on Thursday morning. | |
| He said the Ukrainian people would be able "to choose freely" who ran the country. | He said the Ukrainian people would be able "to choose freely" who ran the country. |
| Mr Putin also urged Ukrainian soldiers in the combat zone in eastern Ukraine to lay down their weapons and return to their homes, warning that Moscow's response would be "instant" if anyone tried to take on Russia. | |
| The latest move by Russia has drawn international condemnation, with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg criticising Russia's "reckless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine" and urging Moscow to cease its military action immediately. | |
| He said despite weeks of tireless international diplomacy, Russia had chosen "the path of aggression", which amounted to "a grave breach of international law, and a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security". | |
| Mr Stoltenberg has called an emergency meeting of the North Atlantic Council this morning. A press conference is expected to be held in Brussels at 12:00 local time. | |
| Defence Secretary Ben Wallace branded Russia's actions "naked aggression against a democratic country" and said no one had been fooled by the Kremlin's "false flags and fake narratives". | |
| Fears of a Russian invasion into Ukraine have been rising for months. | |
| Mr Putin has accused the West of ignoring Russia's demands to prevent Ukraine from joining the western Nato military alliance and offer Moscow security guarantees. |