Russia Orders ‘Special Military Operation’ In Ukraine

Feb 23, 2022, 10:51pm.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a special military operation in Ukraine early Thursday, a chilling announcement that was immediately followed by reports of explosions across the country.

According to the New York Times, Putin announced in a speech on Russian television that there would be an operation in eastern Ukraine.

According to reports, Putin called on Ukrainians to lay down their weapons and insisted he doesn't want to occupy the country.

CNN reported that there were loud explosions in the eastern cities of Kharkiv and Kramatorsk.

President Joe Biden denounced Putin's actions and vowed to impose additional sanctions.

Surprising Fact

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a final plea for peace before Putin announced the invasion. The Kremlin didn't respond to Zelenskyy's attempts to contact Putin.

Russia and Ukraine have been at odds since Russia invaded and annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of the same name. Russian troops and military hardware were deployed in support of the rebels in the Donbas area of Ukraine eight years ago, though the Kremlin denied participating in the conflict. The White House warned Russia that it could launch an attack if it moved 100,000 troops close to the border with Ukraine. The U.S. and its allies have not accepted Russia's demand that Ukraine be barred from joining NATO in order to find a solution to the crisis. On Monday, Putin said that Russia will recognize the independence of the eastern parts of Ukraine and accused the U.S. and its allies of provoking military aggression. The White House believed that Putin's decision to recognize the self-declared states as a likely path to invasion.

Reactions from Western governments. The U.S. and its allies have responded to Russian aggression with a range of actions, from supplying the Ukrainian government with weapons to stopping the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas line. NATO sent ships and fighter jets to Lithuania and Bulgaria in response to the crisis. Biden has ruled out the possibility of the U.S. sending troops to defend Ukraine or to evacuate Americans, arguing that a clash between U.S. and Russian troops would cause a world war.