(TheRedWire.com) – Over the last number of days, Western countries predicted Russian President Vladimir Putin would invade Ukraine at any time. Early Thursday morning, Russian missiles hit several Ukrainian military sites, tanks moved across the border, and Ukraine claims it shot down five Russian warplanes and a helicopter. As the second wave of the invasion began, observers spotted Russian soldiers raising their flag in Kharkiv.
As military operations started, Putin informed his country that the demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine were underway. The Russian president said he would not occupy the country but demanded surrender from the Ukrainian military, or bloodshed would be on their hands. It’s always hard to assess what’s happening or the damage caused by military action in real-time. Some media reports said there were hundreds of casualties across Ukraine during the first 24 hours of conflict..
"There are widespread concerns over how high the death toll could be, given Putin's stated aim to “demilitarise” a country with a standing army of 215,000" @JP_Rathbone @HenryJFoy https://t.co/WyEaTFQ93N
— [email protected] (@JP_Rathbone) February 24, 2022
Before Putin finished talking, he took a swipe at Western countries. He warned if they intervened in any way, Russia would respond swiftly, and the consequences would be unlike any other they’ve seen before. Russia has a sizable nuclear armament. In recent years, it’s tested hypersonic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear payload at unparalleled speeds. It’s questionable if defense measures are capable of destroying the world’s fastest hypersonic missiles.
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