Edited by plywood at 3-3-2022 04:36 PM
The Russian President told Ukrainian service members to 'lay down their arms and go home' as he declared war on Ukraine in an early morning address to the nation.
Putin said Russia could not exist with a 'constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine' as he said clashes between Russian and Ukrainian solders was 'inevitable'.
Within minutes of his public address, explosions could be heard in the capital city of Kiev as well as the city of Kramatorsk in central Ukraine and Odessa in the south. Putin told Russians: 'I have decided to conduct a special military operation. Russia cannot exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine.
'You and I have been left with no opportunity to protect our people other than the one we use today.' It comes after explosions were heard near the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, as fears mounted that shelling is underway. Residents in the city, which is located in south eastern Ukraine, have been woken up at 3.30am this morning by blasts 30 miles from the Russian border. Video footage appeared to show clouds of smoke rising up into the night sky near Mariupol, but it was unconfirmed whether it was as a result of shelling.
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