Kyiv: We Liquidated 50 “Russian Occupiers”, Moscow: We Neutralized Ukraine's Air Defenses

Russia has launched a full-scale air and ground operation against Ukraine. A series of explosions shook a number of cities in all parts of the country at 5 a.m. this morning, and then Russian troops invaded Ukraine from three sides - the borders with Belarus and the border with Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula. There were also reports of casualties - seven people were killed in the bombing of Russian forces, and the Ukrainian army claimed to have killed "about 50 Russian occupiers".

"The situation is under control, 50 Russian occupiers have been killed. Another Russian plane was shot down in Kramatorsk district. He is the sixth", announced the Ukrainian General Staff on Twitter shortly before 10.30 a.m. Bulgarian time. Four tanks were set on fire on the Kharkiv bypass. An adviser to the Ukrainian president said that 3 civilians and 40 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and dozens more wounded, Reuters reported.

Explosions continue to shake various parts of Ukraine at this time.

The first explosions erupted this morning in Kyiv, followed by a number of cities - in Kharkiv in the northeast, in Kramatorsk, Dnieper, Mariupol, Odessa and Zaporizhzhia. At the same time, Russian troops and military equipment invaded Ukrainian territory in 5 districts - Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Zhytomyr regions.

Ukrainian armed forces and border guards return fire, Ukrainian officials said.

An hour ago there was shelling in Odessa.

Heavy fighting is currently taking place around Kharkiv, according to the Ukrainian army. A military attack with tanks was repulsed there.

Melitopol - an airstrike against a military base, there are casualties at the airport, said Ivan Fedorov - mayor of the city.

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