Ukraine crisis: Explosions heard near Kiev's main airport after Putin announces military operation

Kyiv, Feb 24: Multiple explosions were heard near the main airport in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv soon after Russia announced a military operation in Ukraine, media reports said on Thursday. Several reports indicate several explosions in the Boryspil area to the east of the capital, CNN reported.

According to the American broadcaster, at least two massive explosions were reported in the early hours of Thursday. Announcing a special "military operation" in the Donbas region, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to "consequences".

Delivering an emergency address, Putin said the operation has been launched to demilitarize Ukraine and defend people's "suffering, persecution and genocide" by the Kyiv regime. "I have taken the decision to carry out a special military operation. Its goal will be to defend people who for eight years are suffering persecution and genocide by the Kyiv regime. For this we will aim for demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine," said Putin, asking Ukrainian soldiers to lay down arms.

This comes hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine has not posed and will not pose a threat to Russia. In an emotional appeal delivered largely in Russian, Zelenskyy refuted Moscow's claims that his country poses a threat to Russia and warned that a Russian invasion would cost tens of thousands of lives.

After the military operation was announced, US President Joe Biden condemned Russia's actions, in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. The US President said that he is monitoring the situation from the White House, and will soon meet with the other G7 leaders. Agencies.