UkraineRussia’s government said Thursday that it has recaptured an airport on the outskirts of Kiev that Russian airborne troops seized earlier than President Vladimir Green ordered compulsory recruitment and banned all men aged 18-60 from leaving the country.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces in a 20:00 local time update (13:00 ET) said it believed more than 60 Russian battalion tactical groups – the equivalent of between 30,000 and 60,000 troops – had been stationed on Ukrainian territory.
It says that “the enemy has extremely low morale.”
Vladimir Putinthe Russian president sent troops early Thursday in what he called a “special military operation”.
Prior to the invasion, analysts and intelligence experts estimated that Putin had up to 190,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders in various places.
A convoy of army trucks passes a police post in the city of Armyansk, northern Crimea, early Thursday morning on its way to Ukraine
A Russian tank is seen in Ukraine on Thursday, apparently captured by Ukrainian forces
Before dawn broke, Russian forces attacked from the south, through the Crimea; from the east, with the city of Kharkiv under strong pressure; and from the north, with troops from both Russia and Belarus crossing the Belarusian border in tanks.
Heavy explosions were heard in the vicinity of the capital Kiev in the early hours of Thursday, and US authorities said they expect the city to fall by the end of the weekend.
General George Joulvan, who commanded NATO during the Balkan War, said Thursday night that he expects Kiev to fall within 24-36 hours.
As Thursday night fell, residents sought shelter in the city’s deep subway system, knowing it was likely an enclosure at night.
Smoke was seen rising over the city in the afternoon, and one blow is believed to have struck near a railway bridge in central Kiev.
A local man is standing in front of a house damaged by shelling in Gorlovka, Donetsk, on Thursday
Russian airborne troops are seen at Antonov Airport in Hostomel, 20 miles from Kiev
Russian troops fought Thursday to retain control of the airport they captured earlier in the day.
The battle for control of the airport was filmed in amazing footage from CNN as their reporter Matthew Chance traveled to the city of Hostomel, 20 miles from downtown Kiev.
Hostomel, where Antonov Airport is located, is considered a vital starting point for Russian invaders due to its proximity to the capital.
Chance spoke to some of the soldiers there, assuming they were Ukrainians, and was shocked when he was told they were Russian airborne troops.
Airborne units are considered elite forces, specially selected for their skills and ability to parachute during the initial attack.
However, by Thursday night, the Ukrainian government had said it had regained control of the airport.
This was announced by Deputy Interior Minister Anton Herashchenko, reported The Kyiv Independent.
The National Guard of Ukraine posted on Twitter a photo of three young soldiers holding a bullet-riddled Ukrainian flag.
They signed the photo: “Guards with their flag, torn to pieces after today’s battle.
‘Congratulations to all of you and say we will win!’
The National Guard of Ukraine shared a photo of soldiers who, according to them, repulsed the Russian airborne troops at the airport
Guards with their flag, multiplied debris after today’s battle. Give yourself all the education and say we can! 🇺🇦https://t.co/0wLlv8pGNw pic.twitter.com/lDEYdCFTf2
– Armed Forces of Ukraine (@ArmedForcesUkr) February 24, 2022
A Ukrainian government spokesman said Thursday night that Russians had been forced to leave the airport.
If true, this would be a stunning development. Ukraine’s defense minister says he has re-secured the airport, which has been taken over by Russia’s airborne forces – Russia’s elite military units – on the outskirts of the capital, Kiev. He added that the battle continues. pic.twitter.com/6SpT7lhIn6
– Alexander S. Windman (@AVindman) February 24, 2022
Zelensky was in a bunker in a secret location on Thursday night and said in a video posted on social media that he had been informed that he was the “number one target” for the Russian killers.
He said at least 137 Ukrainians had been killed, 10 of them military and 300 wounded.
In an attempt to thwart the impending takeover of the city, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Vladimir Putin on Thursday night, who gave the French leader a “comprehensive” explanation for his justification for war.
The Kremlin said the conversation was initiated by Macron, and he and Putin agreed to stay in touch.
They were talking after Russian forces took control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after a “fierce” battle, with the condition of the nuclear storage facilities “unknown”.
The seizure of the site has raised fears of radiation leaks, which could cause precipitation in Europe.
The Chernobyl disaster in then-Soviet Ukraine sent clouds of nuclear material to much of Europe in 1986, and the site has remained closed ever since – although it has been open to tourists in recent years.
Some Russian troops gathered in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone before crossing into Ukraine early Thursday, a Russian security source told Reuters.
Russia wants to control the Chernobyl nuclear reactor to signal NATO not to intervene militarily, the source said.
“Our defenders are giving their lives to prevent a repeat of the 1986 tragedy,” Zelenski tweeted shortly before the power plant was taken.
“This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.”