Russia's Putin announces military operation in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a military operation in Ukraine, claiming it’s intended to protect civilians

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a military operation in Ukraine, claiming it’s intended to protect civilians.

In a televised address, Mr. Putin said the action comes in response to threats coming from Ukraine. He added that Russia doesn’t have a goal to occupy Ukraine. Mr. Putin said the responsibility for the bloodshed lies with the Ukrainian “regime.”

Mr. Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen.”

The Kremlin said rebels in eastern Ukraine asked Russia for military assistance on Wednesday to help fend off Ukrainian “aggression,” an announcement that immediately fueled fears that Moscow was offering up a pretext for war, just as the West had warned.

A short time later, the Ukrainian president rejected Moscow’s claims that his country poses a threat to Russia and said a Russian invasion would cost tens of thousands of lives.

“The people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine want peace,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an emotional overnight address, speaking in Russian in a direct appeal to Russian citizens. “But if we come under attack, if we face an attempt to take away our country, our freedom, our lives, and lives of our children, we will defend ourselves. When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs.”

Mr. Zelenskyy said he asked to arrange a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin late Wednesday, but the Kremlin did not respond.