Explosions rocked Kyiv and Kharkiv and several other Ukrainian cities shortly after Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced “special military operations” aimed at the “demilitarization and denazification” of Ukraine. A move that Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador called a “declaration of war.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is underway. Ukraine said Thursday that 40 military personnel and 10 civilians have already been killed in the widespread attacks. God protect those in the path of Russia’s aggression. 

In the hours to come #Russia will
-conduct strikes on air defense systems
-move to cut off #Kyiv from eastern #Ukraine
-move to cut off Ukraine’s military forces on the line of contact in the east to prevent them from falling back to defend Kyiv

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 24, 2022

Russian media outlet RT says the operation is aimed at “defending people living in the newly-recognized republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.”

In his televised address, Putin accused the U.S. and allies of ignoring Russia’s demand to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and offer Moscow security guarantees. He claims Russia’s goal is not to occupy Ukraine. But any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences they have never seen.”

Reports as of 11:30 p.m. eastern indicate Russian special forces may have already taken Kyiv’s airport. It has been confirmed the airport’s been evacuated. 

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky announced his nation has broken off diplomatic ties with Russia. He equated the attack with Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939, which ignited World War II, adding that Russia has “embarked on a path of evil.”

White House Reacts

White House diplomatic and deterrence efforts a failure, Joe Biden was left Wednesday evening condemning this “unjust and unprovoked attack,” and promising the U.S. and allies will respond in a “united and decisive way.”

“President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” Biden said, “The world will hold Russia accountable.”

A far cry from his campaign boasts that he would bring Putin to heel. It wasn’t just Biden, as Max Abrahms tweeted. The Democrats and Never Trumper Republicans “spent four years saying Trump invited Russian predation and that we needed Biden to restore Russian deterrence.” As late as Tuesday, writer Stephen King was puffing up Biden at Trump’s expense:

Mr. Putin has made a serious miscalculation.
He forgot he's no longer dealing with Trump.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) February 23, 2022

And now Ukraine is facing a horror worse than anything Stephen King could plot. Analysts are concerned a full-blown invasion could kill 50,000 Ukrainians beyond the thousands of soldiers on both sides who would die.

Former President Donald Trump spoke to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham shortly after the attack started. He said he believes Putin really “started thinking he could do this,” when he saw the disastrous U.S. withdrawal in Afghanistan. “This is something that should never have happened,” he said several times. “This would not have happened during my administration.” 

Now What?

The U.N Security Council was meeting late into the night. Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya confronted his Russian counterpart, and urging the Security Council to immediate action.

“It’s too late my dear colleagues to speak about de-escalation.”

JUST IN: "It's too late my dear colleagues to speak about de-escalation."

"The Russian President declared the war on the record, should I play the video?" Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya presses Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya at the United Nations. pic.twitter.com/CYCXkPd4Xt

— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) February 24, 2022

Biden says he’ll be speaking with G7 leaders today. 

May God protect the Ukrainian people.