By James Orji
Ukrainians have started fleeing their country hours after President Vladimir Putin ordered a military attack on its neighbour.
Last ditch diplomatic shuttles among major powers such as the United States, France, UK, China and United Nations had failed to stop the military confrontation among the two countries, as reports indicate a serious civilian casualties on both sides moments after the first exchange of fire between both sides.
Women and children are now seen being moved in convoy of buses into neighbouring countries to escape Russia aggression in the Eastern European nation.
Other desperate citizens are trying to get into bomb shelters to escape being killed a situation watchers of event described as ‘Ukraine’s darkest day’.
President Putin said his country has no plan to target civilian areas or invade Ukraine. He has also called on Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms and return to their families, in a national broadcast to his people where he accused Ukraine of posing a threat to the security of Russia.
Putin also warned other countries of serious consequence such that they “have never experienced in their history’ if they tried to stop his military action against Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on his part has urged his citizens to resist Russia’s invasion by taking up arms, amidst global condemnation of Russia aggression against its neighbour.
The military strikes on Ukraine, which started in the wee hours of Thursday were targeted at major military installations in Kiev, the capital as analysts insist that the military operation is in preparation of a full-scale invasion.
President Joe Biden of the US said in his first response to the strike that Putin will be held responsible for whatever happened in Ukraine.
In a statement Biden called the attack “unprovoked and unjustified,” adding that Russia has chosen a war “that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.”
“Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way,” Biden said.
The US leader had earlier imposed serious economic sanctions on Russia, targeting prominent individuals in Putin’s government as well as banks operated by Russia military and cronies. But analysts said past sanctions had not been really effective in stopping Russia’s aggression.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Putin to “Stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance.
Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NATO, has urged Putin to stop its aggression.
“I call on Russia to cease its military action immediately and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he stated, adding that the attack breached international law and posed a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security,” he said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was surprised by the turn of events in Ukraine. He urged President Putin to stop further bloodshed.
“President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine,” the British leader said.
Other European countries have called on Russia to avoid a major bloodshed in Europe since after the Second World War, as Europeans powers said they will impose further devastating sanctions including freezing Russia’s assets in EU. EU said Putin has violated international World Order and must be punished for trying to plunge the world into an unnecessary war.
“By its unprovoked and unjustified military actions, Russia is grossly violating international law and undermining European and global security and stability,” E.U Foreign Policy Chief presidents Charles Michel and EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement.
Meanwhile, China in a statement by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said it “is closely watching the latest situation, and we call on all parties to maintain restraint and prevent the situation from getting out of control”.
