Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with several attacks from both ground troops, missiles, and bombers, the Ukraine military has reported that it has responded by shooting down five Russian planes and a helicopter in an attempt to fend away the attacks, according to the Joint Forces Command.

As of writing, reports of Russia’s ground forces have crossed into Ukraine from several directions from Crimea and Belarus despite economic sanctions imposed by the international community intended to deter such aggression. Belurus which was conducting military drills with Russia in the past months, is located about 50 miles from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, which raised concerns of Russian forces quickly overrunning the nation’s capital.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Adviser Anton Gerashchenko has reported that Russia has fired missiles on several military airfields, military warehouses, and military headquarters located in Kyiv, Kharkov, and Dnieper in a seeming attempt to prevent Ukraine from responding militarily to Russian troops moving into Donetsk and Luhansk. Two missiles have also reportedly hit a Ukrainian military facility in Brovary. Due to these missile attacks, Ukrainian citizens are fleeing major cities and heading west towards Poland amid Ukraine’s air raid sirens wailing in various cities.

“The military infrastructure of Ukrainian military air bases has been put out of action. The air defenses of the armed forces of Ukraine have been neutralized,” said the Russian Defense Ministry.

Inhabitants of Kyiv, Ukraine, leave the city following missile strikes by Russian armed forces on Feb. 24, 2022 (Getty Images via TIME). Source: https://time.com/6150708/russia-ukraine-invasion-war/
Inhabitants of Kyiv, Ukraine, leave the city following missile strikes by Russian armed forces on Feb. 24, 2022 (Pierre Crom/Getty Images via TIME)

Gerashchenko posted on his official Facebook account that the invasion had begun. He reported that there is heavy gunfire near the border of Ukraine and claimed that Putin was the ‘new Hitler’ of a possible World War III. “Truth is with us! The Lord is with us! We [will] protect our land! Victory will be upon us!” he claimed. Gerashchenko also pleaded to the public to call on friends and relatives in Russia and help them protest on the streets to stop the war.

The “border” spoken of by Gerachenko refers to the Ukrainian-controlled parts of the Donestk and Luhansk Oblasts that Russian-backed separatists seized in 2014.

Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba has also reported that Russian troops were not only present in Donbas but the entire Ukrainian territory with attacks coming in from multiple directions. He further reiterated that Ukraine is not running away and that “Ukraine will defend itself. Ukraine will win.” The minister also called on all countries to act on behalf of Ukraine to stop Russia at all costs.