After announcing the introduction of martial law in reaction to the Russian-led offensive, the Ukrainian president called on the world to create an “anti-Putin coalition”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered his troops on Thursday morning to inflict maximum casualties on Russian soldiers invading his country, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, General Valery Zalujni, said on Facebook.
“Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces [NDRL: le président Volodymyr Zelensky] gave the order that maximum casualties be inflicted on the aggressor“, indicated the general, assuring that the army “contracted with dignity» enemy attacks.
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A few minutes earlier, the Ukrainian president called on his fellow citizens not to panic in the face of the Russian offensive which is hitting their country, also announcing the introduction of martial law.
“Don’t panic, we are ready for anything, we will overcomeVolodymyr Zelensky said in a Facebook video post, adding that Russia had carried out strikes against military infrastructure and border guards. Shortly after, anti-bombing warning sirens sounded in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.
The ongoing Russian operation in several Ukrainian cities aims to “destroy the Ukrainian state, seize its territory by force and establish an occupation“, estimated Thursday in a press release the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Kyiv also called on the international community to “act immediatelyand to impose new sanctions against Russia as soon as possible. “Only united and strong actions can stop Vladimir Putin’s aggression against Ukraine“, adds this text.
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The Russian army said Thursday to aim with “high precision weapons” military sites in Ukraine, hours after Vladimir Putin announced a military offensive to defend the separatists in the east of the country, and “demilitarize and denazifyhis pro-Western neighbor. “I made the decision for a special military operation“, he said, chillingly, in a surprise statement on television shortly before 3 a.m., renewing his unfounded accusations of “genocide“orchestrated by Ukraine in the east of the country, arguing the call for help from the separatists announced overnight and the aggressive policy of NATO towards Russia and of which Ukraine would be the tool.
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The world must createan anti-Putin coalition” for “force Russia to peace“, he said afterwards. “We are building an anti-Putin coalition“, declared Volodymyr Zelensky after talks in particular with the American, British and German leaders. “The world must compel Russia to peace“, he added.
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