Between Russiathe military arsenal of Ukraine are a series of mobile crematoria designed to dismantle the bodies of dead soldiers and civilians and hide the true scale of the war, it said Thursday as Putin progressed with his attack on Ukraine.

The crematoria have been located alongside tanks and fighter jets for years and a video of them was published online in 2013. These footage reappeared on Thursday with grim new sharpness now that total war has been declared. Externally, the trucks look like ordinary vehicles, but contain hidden incinerators.

Western defense experts say they could be used to burn the bodies of soldiers in an attempt to hide the true death toll.

“If I were a soldier and I knew that my generals had so little faith in me that they followed me around the battlefield with a mobile crematorium, or I was the mother or father of a son potentially in a battle zone and my government, I thought the cover-up of losses is a mobile crematorium, I would be deeply, deeply concerned “, the British Minister of Defense Ben Wallace he said The Daily Telegraph on Thursday night.

Russia’s Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers, meanwhile, says many of Putin’s young soldiers now fighting in Ukraine have been misled into enlistment and told they are heading to the training border before being sent into bloody conflict. .

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This image, taken from a 2013 video of the “mobile crematoria”, shows the incinerator hidden in the truck opening to dump the soldiers’ bodies. These crematoria are among the vehicles believed to be following Russian troops around in an attempt to hide the true scale of the war.

Young Russian soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces on Thursday after the outbreak of war by air strikes at dawn

The committee is non-governmental and was set up in 1989. On Thursday, they issued a statement saying many of the young men enlisted in the army had been tricked into doing so and then beaten if they tried to back down.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized without war on Thursday and warned the West not to intervene

“We have received a wave of calls from frightened mothers from all over Russia. They are crying, they don’t know if their children are alive or well, “Andrei Kurochkin, the group’s deputy chairman, told Russia’s Takie Del website.

“If there is a war, then professionals have to deal with it, not untrained green boys,” he said, adding that it was a “complete disaster” for soldiers to wage war “under duress”.

The young men were told they were going to the border for training, after which their contracts were changed to signal that they were there for a conflict.

“They’re transferring entire regiments to contract.” [soldiers,] although the boys did not make any formal requests to do so and did not take such an initiative.

UKRAINE LAST

• Global markets have shaken, with the Russian ruble falling to its lowest level ever
• The price of oil jumped to over $ 100 a barrel
• The EU will freeze Russian assets, cut off access to the financial market and focus on “Kremlin interests”
• The G7 called Putin a “threat to the global order”, promising “heavy and coordinated economic and financial sanctions”
• Joe Biden has announced new sanctions against Russian banks, exports and the military
• Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, will be separated from the US financial system, and full sanctions have been imposed on four other financial institutions.
• Boris Johnson called the invasion a “catastrophe for our continent” and called Putin a “dictator”
• China has reiterated calls for talks, but has refused to criticize Russia’s attack
• Moldova has declared a state of emergency
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the invasion is a “heavy blow” to regional peace
• NATO ambassadors have scheduled an emergency meeting for Thursday
• The UN Security Council will discuss a resolution condemning the invasion
• Ukraine has asked the world to expel Russia from the SWIFT banking system

“There are cases of physical violence and beatings of those who refuse to become contract soldiers. And then it’s completely unknown [what happens to them]because their phones are taken away.

The group is currently preparing to file a formal complaint with the General Military Prosecutor’s Office.

Pictures of some of the soldiers surfaced on Thursday when they were captured by Ukrainian forces. Many of them were extremely young men.

Terrifying videos from Ukraine show tanks moving through Chernobyl while firing on rings in Sumy, near the border with Russia.

Ukrainians spent the night hiding in subway stations, unable to get out on crowded roads and trains while hiding from air strikes.

It remains unclear whether they are still on the road. Ukraine has promised to respond with all its might.

Troops are already approaching the headquarters of the Ukrainian force after taking control of the Chernobyl Strategic Nuclear Power Plant on Thursday, and will take it within 96 hours, lifting a “new Iron Curtain” over Europe, Vladimir Zelensky warned.

Officials say Vladimir Putin plans to encircle Ukrainian forces in Kiev and force them to either surrender or be destroyed, and then Ukraine’s leadership will fall in a week.

A former senior US intelligence officer told Newsweek: “Once the air and artillery ends and the ground war really begins, I think Kiev will fall in just a few days.

“The military may last a little longer, but it won’t last long.”

A source close to the Ukrainian government said they had agreed to encircle Kiev within 96 hours, but believed the government would remain strong and would not collapse.

In an attempt to thwart the impending conquest of the city, Emmanuel Macron spoke tonight with Vladimir Putin, who gave the French leader a “comprehensive” explanation of his justification for war.

The Kremlin said the conversation was initiated by Macron, and he and Putin agreed to stay in touch.

President Vladimir Zelensky has promised to give weapons to any civilian he wants.

President Joe Biden on Thursday condemned Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine and announced a series of new sanctions against Russian financial institutions that he said would have a “serious” effect on the economy.

A Russian T-72 tank is depicted sitting in front of the main reactor at Chernobyl after Putin’s troops captured it in a “fierce” battle with the state of nuclear storage “unknown”

Russian armored vehicles park on roads near Chernobyl plant, amid fears that damage to the facility could cause radiation leaks that will cover Europe with precipitation

The attack reached Ukraine on all fronts with bombs and missiles dropped across targets across the country in the early hours, followed by attacks by troops from Crimea, Donbas, Belgorod and Belarus, as well as helicopter landings in Kiev and power plants on the Dnieper River. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant also fell into the hands of Russian forces

Russian Mi-8 attack helicopters attack Gostomel air base, right on the outskirts of Kiev, after Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale attack on the country

The State Department tells citizens to take care of themselves. “The US government will not be able to evacuate American citizens from Ukraine,” the website said in a statement today.

President Biden addressed the nation on Thursday afternoon. He promised to impose harsh sanctions on Russia, but said nothing about evacuation plans. Earlier this month, he said Americans in Ukraine must leave the country on their own

“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will suffer the consequences, “Biden said in a White House statement in response to Putin’s invasion, which has killed at least 57 Ukrainians so far.

The president insisted he had not underestimated the Russian leader and admitted in a confusing moment that “no one expects” earlier sanctions imposed on Russian financial institutions and Putin’s inner circle to “prevent something from happening.”

He said Putin had additional ambitions and wanted to “restore the Soviet Union”, but insisted he would not send US troops to Ukraine and did not plan to speak to the Russian leader by phone.

Biden’s speech, which was postponed twice Thursday afternoon, came after the Kremlin took control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after a “fierce” battle. Ukraine has said that the condition of nuclear storage facilities is “unknown”, which raises concerns about leaks of radiation that could cause precipitation in Europe.

The video reveals Russian tanks and armored vehicles standing in front of a destroyed reactor 60 miles north of the capital Kiev, which is surrounded by Putin’s forces and could fall after 96 hours.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also issued a grim warning on Thursday, saying: “All the evidence is that Russia intends to surround and threaten Kiev, and we believe that Moscow has developed plans to commit widespread human rights abuses – and potentially worse – the Ukrainian people. ‘

“Now the whole world sees clearly what Putin and his Kremlin allies are all about.

“This has never been a real security concern for them. It has always been a matter of naked aggression, “the president said in a White House speech. “America opposes tyrants,” he added. “This is us.”

WASHINGTON. As Russian troops head towards Kiev with the apparent goal of the Pentagon to “decapitate” the Ukrainian government, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III ordered an additional 7,000 troops to be sent to Europe as the continent faces its biggest land war since World War II. II.

The Pentagon ordered an armored brigade combat team to be sent to Germany to calm the fearful NATO allies in Eastern Europe, Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said. Specifically, US military officials say the move is meant to warn the president. Vladimir V. Putin Russia that as long as the United States does not send troops to Ukraine, it will not hesitate to act if it turns its eyes to a member of the North Atlantic alliance.

Senior Pentagon officials have made numerous phone calls to their European counterparts about what Mr. Kirby called Russia’s “illegal and destabilizing actions.” According to him, American troops heading to Germany will be able to quickly redeploy to other countries on NATO’s eastern flank as needed.

Military officials gave a grim assessment of the damage inflicted on Ukraine some 24 hours after the start of the Russian invasion. According to them, Russian warplanes carried out more than 160 airstrikes on military installations and the air defense system of Ukraine.

Moreover, they said that the three lines of Russian troops, with their gigantic advantage over the Ukrainian military, are quickly converging on three Ukrainian cities: Kharkov in the east, Kherson in the south, and Kiev, the capital, with its three million inhabitants. In Kiev, according to one senior military official, the target appears to have been the presidential government. Vladimir Zelensky. Forces, according to the official, were assembled from Belarus in the north and Crimea in the south, using rockets and long-range artillery.

The Pentagon’s assessment suggests that “they have every intention of decapitating the government and establishing their own method of government,” the official told reporters at a Defense Department briefing. While he acknowledged that the Pentagon does not have “full knowledge” of Russian troop movements, he described what he described as “the initial phase of a large-scale invasion emanating from Belarus and Crimea.”

So far, Russian forces have been hitting Ukrainian military and air defense installations, using more medium and short-range ballistic missiles. Russia also used sea-launched missiles from warships in the Black Sea, the official said. Until he attacked the west of Ukraine.

Updated

February 24, 2022 6:00 pm ET

Military officials said Ukrainian forces fought back, with the most intense fighting in Kharkiv.

“We haven’t seen a traditional move like this, from state to state, since World War II, and if it develops the way we believe it could be very bloody, very bloody. costly and has a very strong impact on European security in general,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make these comments publicly.

One U.S. official noted that while the Ukrainian military was paltry compared to Russia, Ukrainian troops could still inflict some damage on Russian soldiers as the fighting continues.

Understand Russia’s Attack on Ukraine

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What is at the heart of this invasion? Russia considers Ukraine a part his natural sphere of influence, and is unnerved by Ukraine’s proximity to the West and the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO or the European Union. Although Ukraine is not part of either, it receives financial and military assistance from the US and Europe.

Are these frictions just beginning now? Antagonism between the two countries has simmered since 2014, when Russian troops crossed into Ukraine after an uprising in Ukraine replaced a Russian-friendly president with a pro-Western government. Then, Russia annexed Crimea and inspired separatist movement in the east. A ceasefire was signed in 2015but fighting continued.

How did Ukraine react? February 23, Ukraine declared a state of emergency for 30 days. when cyberattacks took out state institutions. After the attacks began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky martial law declared. The foreign minister called the attacks a “full-scale invasion” and called on the world to “stop Putin.”

Pentagon officials expected Russian troops to cut off lines of communication within the Ukrainian army in the early hours of the invasion; it hasn’t happened yet, a senior military official said.

American troops bound for Europe will not go to Ukraine; President Biden ruled it out. But Thursday’s deployment of the Third Infantry Division’s First Brigade will bring up to the 14,000 U.S. troops Biden has brought closer to combat since the Ukraine crisis began. Their arrival will increase the number of American troops in Europe to almost 100,000.

The deployment comes after Mr. Biden warned on Thursday that the United States would “intervene” if Mr. Putin took any action in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries.

This week, the Pentagon deployed six F-35 fighter jets and a host of other combat aircraft to Eastern Europe to bolster support for NATO allies. Mr. Austin also sent an infantry battalion task force of about 800 men to the Baltics. These troops and combat aircraft were already in the European theater of operations, the official said.

Bella and Gigi Hadid solidified their fashion status when they took to the catwalk for the Moschino Fall / Winter 2022-2023 collection during Milan Fashion Week on Thursday night.

The sisters of the supermodels showed off their runway as they landed in the Italian fashion city earlier this week.

Bella, 25, looked amazing in a floor-length satin dress that trailed behind her as she walked the catwalk in matching gloves that reached to her shoulders, while Gigi’s older sister, 26, marveled at a gold dress at a glance.

Follow this path: Bella (left) and Gigi Hadid (right) solidify their fashion status as they take to the Moschino Fall / Winter 2022-2023 catwalk during Milan Fashion Week on Thursday night

Inspired by space, designer Jeremy Scott uses intergalactic colors in his collection and futuristic shapes.

Crossing the boundaries, some models even came out on the catwalk strangely dressed as household items, including Grandpa’s watch and hat with a lampshade – like Gigi, she also looked like a wardrobe in a dramatic brown dress with cables.

And the Hadid sisters were the ones who stole the show, with Bella drawing attention to the catwalk in her hugging strapless dress, which included 3D details on her bust and gloves.

Interruption of the show: it was the Hadid sisters who stole the show, as Bella caught the attention of the catwalk in her hugging strapless dress, which included 3D details on the bust and gloves

Looking good: Looking just sensational, the sisters posed wildly in stunning ensembles while embarking on contrasting visions.

She wore her brunette locks tucked away from her face in a chic hairstyle and enhanced her look with a black eyeliner.

She paused for a sultry pose, looked over her shoulder, and put her hands on her hips as she glanced at the audience.

After showing off her first ensemble, Bella took to the track in a tight-fitting mussel dress with a cut-out chest panel.

Her second look included delicate gold details sewn with a metal thread that intertwined through her bust to a turtleneck.

The same pattern continued on the cuffs of her long sleeves and reflected on the heel of her black stiletto shoes.

Striking: followed closely by her sister, Gigi, she wore a much more dramatic metallic gold dress, complemented by a voluminous tulle skirt.

Change! The second look of the model demonstrates another exquisite silhouette while she dresses in a bronze mussel dress with protruding structured thighs

Bella carried a miniature crocodile bag and added a pair of matching black and gold earrings to complete her look.

Followed by her sister, Gigi, she wore a much more dramatic metallic gold dress, complemented by a voluminous tulle skirt.

The furrowed corsage clung to her small waist before wrapping itself in golden vines around her arms, along with leaves and appropriate gloves.

Works: The bodice with striped vests fits into her small waist before wrapping around her arms in golden vines, along with leaves and suitable gloves

Supermodel: She showed off her sensational look as she spun on the track and threw her hands in the air in an alluring pose

Lovely: Gigi turned to the camera to show the intricate details of the beads on the side of the dress

Gigi’s blond locks were tucked from her face in an elegant hairstyle with a deep side parting and curls pinned to her head.

She showed off her sensational look as she spun around on the track and threw her arms in the air in an enticing pose.

The second look of the models demonstrates another exquisite silhouette, while she dresses in a bronze mussel dress with protruding structured thighs.

Heat: Bella showed off her modeling skills while posing behind the scenes

Beautiful: Gigi and Bella were every inch of supermodels as they posed for a storm

Forward to Fashion: The sisters later posed for some behind-the-scenes photos with Moschino’s creative director, Jeremy Scott, 46, who wore an alternate ensemble while dressing in an astronaut’s cherry-red suit.

Interesting: Inspired by space, designer Jeremy uses intergalactic colors in his collection and futuristic shapes, while other models were dressed as household items

Making sweet music: Kara Taylor was dressed like an inflatable heart in a pleated gold dress

Gigi’s dress was adorned with gold leaves and beads across her chest to continue the decadent theme.

She completed her look with a matching pair of large heeled snakeskin heels and pointed toes in a variety of colors worn by her sister.

The sisters later posed for behind-the-scenes photos with Moschino creative director Jeremy Scott, 46, who wore an alternate ensemble while dressing in an astronaut’s cherry-red suit.

All dressed up: Anna Dello Russo enhanced the drama with a black mussel dress with accentuated shoulder pads and PVC red boots

Bella has made a name for herself in the world of modeling in the last few years.

At the beginning of her career in 2016, Bella was named Model of the Year by industry professionals. That was the same year she took part in her first Victoria’s Secret fashion show.

Not surprisingly, Bella rose to superstar fame following in the footsteps of her mother, Yolanda Hadid, and her sister, Gigi.

The star of “The Real Wives of Beverly Hills” Yolanda was a major model in the 80’s and 90’s and made Gigi model when she was only two years old.

The stage is ready: Models wearing creations as part of the Moschino autumn / winter 2022-2023 fashion collection

Robin Roberts has revealed that her longtime partner Amber Lane has breast cancer – a decade after she had a bone marrow transplant due to a rare disease and 15 years after she overcame her own battle with the disease.

The 61-year-old presenter of Good Morning America announced on Thursday in a video shared on her social media accounts that she will have to withdraw from the morning show “from time to time” to be able to be near Amber as she passes. treatment.

She said Amber, who was diagnosed with the disease late last year, underwent surgery last month.

She has now started chemotherapy, and fortunately Robin said Amber’s prognosis was “good.”

Robin Roberts reveals that her longtime partner Amber Lane (pictured together in 2019) has breast cancer – 15 years after she overcame her own battle with the disease

The host of Good Morning America, 61, explained that she would have to stay away from the show “from time to time” to be able to be near Amber while undergoing treatment.

She said Amber, who was diagnosed with the disease late last year, underwent surgery last month and has now begun chemotherapy. Fortunately, Amber’s prognosis is “good”

“We are so grateful to our family and friends who knew this and kept it a secret until Amber was ready to share it with others,” she said in the video.

Robin and Amber were introduced by mutual friends in 2005 after being set up for a blind date. They have been together for 17 years now. They are pictured in 2018 together

Robin has faced many of her own health problems over the years. She defeated breast cancer in 2007, and five years later she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a disease in which bone marrow does not produce enough blood cells.

“She and I have been together for almost 17 years and have helped each other with our challenges, such as my journey with cancer,” Robin continued.

“Now it’s my turn to be with her, as she was for me. This means that I will be absent from GMA from time to time, like this morning when she starts chemotherapy.

“We know that many, many are facing cancer and other challenges, as my mother said, ‘Everyone has something.’

“Please know that you are in our prayers and we hope that we are also in yours. Blessings to all.

Robin and Amber were introduced by mutual friends in 2005 after being set up for a blind date. And according to the talk show host, Amber had no idea who she was when they first met.

“She rarely watched sports, so she never saw me on ESPN. Her office colleagues at the time were watching a different morning show, “Oh,” she had previously written in her memoir, “Everyone Has Something.”

Robin and Amber kept their relationship a secret until 2013, when Robin shared a list of all the people she was grateful for and included her “longtime friend Amber.”

Stronger together: Robin said Amber helped her through her own journey with cancer, adding: “Now it’s my turn to be with her, as she was for me.” They are pictured in 2018

“The main thing that unites us is the positive energy. She sees the good in everyone.

Robin and Amber kept their relationship a secret until 2013, when Robin first appeared on a Facebook post.

Robin shared a list of all the people she thanked in honor of the end of the year and included her “longtime friend, Amber.”

Robin underwent several sessions of chemotherapy for her breast cancer, which she overcame in 2007.

She is then diagnosed with MDS – which can occur in response to cancer treatment or exposure to chemicals.

According to Medicinenet.comPercentage of people with MDS can and will develop leukemia.

Robin defeated breast cancer in 2007, and five years later she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a disease in which bone marrow does not produce enough blood cells.

She had a bone marrow transplant from her sister Sally-An on September 20, 2012, before returning to Good Morning, America in February. She is pictured in February 2013

She revealed her health while talking to The Dr. Oz Show in January 2020, revealing that he is doing “well”

Robin had a bone marrow transplant from his sister Sally-Ann on September 20, 2012, before returning to Good Morning, America in February.

She revealed her health while talking to Dr. Oz’s show in January 2020, revealing that he was doing “well”.

“Oh, thank God I’m doing as well as I am. “I’m so incredibly grateful to the doctors, the nurses, the technicians who keep an eye on me to this day,” Robin said.

“I am doing my due diligence. I go for regular check-ups. I started meditating. I watch what I eat more than before.

“All those things I have to do.” But I want to be a symbol to the people that this will pass.

She added: “I do not want to survive. I don’t want to survive going through something like this, I want to thrive.

Breast cancer statistics

• About one in eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer throughout their lives
• About 207,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women in the United States are expected to be diagnosed in 2022, along with 51,400 new cases of noninvasive breast cancer
• About 2,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2022. The risk of breast cancer in a man’s lifetime is about one in 833
• The average five-year survival rate for women with non-metastatic invasive breast cancer is 90 percent, while the average five-year survival rate for women with invasive breast cancer is 99 percent
• Overall breast cancer mortality decreases by one percent per year from 2013 to 2018, but breast cancer mortality is higher than for any cancer other than lung cancer
• Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women after skin cancer
• Breast cancer has become the most common cancer worldwide since 2021, accounting for 12% of all new annual cancer cases worldwide
• Treatment includes surgery to remove the tumor, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy
• Source: BreastCancer.org and Cancer.net

The Russians launched a total war against Ukraine today with rockets falling from the sky, tanks rolling across the Belarusian border and masses of paratroopers descending to the eastern regions after Vladimir Putin personally ordered an attack.

“Hundreds” of Ukrainian soldiers have already been killed in early clashes, Kiev said, as the battle came to them on all fronts at one time. Cruise missiles, guided bombs and GRAD missiles are destroying targets from east to west – aimed at airports, military bases, ammunition depots and command posts, including in the capital.

The first sign that an invasion was imminent came shortly before 12 noon Ukrainian time (10 pm in Britain), when Russian-backed rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine demanded military assistance from Moscow in what is widely seen as a “fake” flag “operation to justify Putin’s decision to attack.

A moment later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed a provocative message to the nation, promising that his compatriots would “retaliate” in the event of an invasion, telling Moscow: “When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs.”

A fierce series of diplomatic maneuvers, including an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in New York, were not enough to dissuade Putin from announcing a “special military operation” around 3 a.m. Ukrainian time.

Around 6 a.m., Zelensky declared martial law in a video message recorded on his phone, urging his people “not to panic” and promising, “We will all win because we are Ukraine.”

As Europe faces its worst military crisis in decades, this is how dramatic events unfolded this morning, minute by minute. All times are displayed first in Ukrainian time, with the GMT equivalent in parentheses.

12:00 (22h)

“We will retaliate”: Ukrainian president delivers emotional televised address

Vladimir Zelensky has promised that the Ukrainian people will “strike back” if Putin launches a full-scale invasion.

His comments follow a request from Moscow-backed rebel leaders in the east for military aid to repel Ukrainian “aggression” – considered by the West a “false flag” – to justify the invasion.

Solemn President Zelensky says: “The people of Ukraine and the Government of Ukraine want peace.

“But if we are attacked, if we face an attempt to take away our country, our freedom, our lives and the lives of our children, we will defend ourselves. When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs.

The Ukrainian president said he had tried to call Putin earlier in the evening, but there was no answer, only silence, adding that Moscow had about 200,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders.

At the request of Ukraine, the UN Security Council quickly scheduled an extraordinary meeting – the second in three days.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the separatists’ demand a “further escalation of the security situation”.

Ukraine is preparing for conflict and enters a one-month state of emergency, which takes effect at midnight.

3:30 in the morning (1:30 GMT)

Explosions were heard in the strategically important port city of Mariupol

Residents of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol were awakened at 3.30 am by the sounds of explosions.

The videos appear to show clouds of smoke rising in the nearby night sky, but it has not been confirmed whether this was the result of shelling.

Mariupol, located on the Black Sea 50 miles from the Russian border, handles 50 percent of Ukraine’s steel and mineral exports.

Occupying the strategic location will give the people’s republics of Donbass access to the sea and will stifle a vital economic artery for the legitimate government of Ukraine.

4:30 AM (02:30 GMT)

A UN meeting at which the Ukrainian ambassador tells his Russian counterpart: “war criminals go straight to hell”

The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting in New York to try to dissuade Russia from sending troops to Ukraine.

During the accused session, Ukrainian Ambassador Serhiy Kislitsya begged the council, chaired by Russia, to “do everything possible to stop the war.”

He urges the Russian ambassador to step down as chairman.

“There is no purgatory for war criminals. They go to hell, Ambassador, “says the emotional Kislitsa.

At a meeting of the UN Security Council, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergei Kislitsa accused his Russian counterpart: “There is no purgatory for war criminals. They’re going to hell, Ambassador

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Putin to stop his tanks.

“If surgery is really being prepared, I have only one thing to say from the bottom of my heart,” he said.

“President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people have already died.

Mr Guterres says he is witnessing “the saddest moment of my term as UN Secretary-General” and that Europe is at risk, “the worst war of the century”.

He then warned that Russia’s actions would be “not only” devastating for Ukraine “and” tragic “for Russia,” but also with an impact we cannot even foresee in terms of their consequences for the global economy. “

“At a time when we are leaving Covid and so many developing countries, there must be room for recovery, which would be very, very difficult with high oil prices, wheat exports from Ukraine and rising interest rates caused by instability. international markets, “he added.

5 am (3 am GMT)

Putin declares a “special military operation” and threatens the West

Putin has declared a “special military operation” in eastern Ukraine, claiming it aims to protect civilians.

In a televised address, Putin said the action came in response to threats coming from Ukraine.

He claims that Russia wants to “denazify, not occupy” Ukraine. Putin says the Ukrainian regime is responsible for the bloodshed.

Putin warns the countries that any attempt to interfere in Russia’s actions will lead to “consequences they have never seen.”

The strong man could be seen wearing the same suit and red tie he wore on Monday to expose his de facto inaccurate version of Ukraine’s history, essentially saying it had always been part of Russia.

Looking back, Putin’s attempts to rewrite history when it suits him can be interpreted as proof that he has already decided to invade Ukraine and that he has deceived Western leaders who are asking him for diplomacy.

5:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Explosions were heard in Kiev just minutes after Putin’s speech ended

After Putin’s speech, explosions were reported in Kiev, Odessa, Ukraine’s third-largest city, and the city of Kramatorsk in the eastern Donetsk region.

A CNN reporter in Kiev said: “I just heard a big bang right here behind me. I’ve never heard anything like it.

Matthew Chance, a senior international correspondent for the network, said he heard between seven and eight explosions.

Chance quickly put on his bulletproof vest and hat as he continued to report from a balcony in the Ukrainian capital.

A CNN reporter in the Ukrainian capital Kiev wears a bulletproof vest when he hears explosions shortly after 5.30 am

“There are big explosions. I can’t see them or explain what they are. but I will tell you that the United States has warned the Ukrainian authorities that there may be air and ground attacks throughout the country, including in the capital.

“I don’t know if this is happening now, but it is a remarkable coincidence that the explosions came just minutes after Putin delivered his speech,” Chance said.

“It simply came to our notice then. It was absolutely quiet. This is the first time. It must be more than just a coincidence.

“I think it’s safe where I am. I have a bulletproof vest, ”Chance said before bending down to put on his protective gear.

He suggested that the explosions he heard were still some distance from the center.

6 a.m. (4 a.m. GMT)

The Ukrainian president declared martial law

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is imposing martial law and urging his people to stay at home and not panic as Russian troops enter the country.

In a video message released shortly after the Kremlin launched its attacks in Ukraine, Zelensky said Russia had launched missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and border guards and that explosions had been heard in many cities.

The Ukrainian president also said that he had talked on the phone with US President Joe Biden.

He pleaded: “Dear Ukrainian citizens, this morning President Putin announced a special military operation in Donbass. Russia has struck at our military infrastructure and our border guards. Explosions were heard in many cities of Ukraine. We are imposing martial law on the entire territory of our country.

“I had a conversation with President Biden a minute ago. The United States has already begun to unite international support. Today, each of you must remain calm. Stay home if you can. We work. The army is working.

“The whole defense and security sector is working. No panic. We are strong. We are ready for anything. We will all win because we are Ukraine.

Paratroopers are descending on Ukraine’s second-largest city as Russians carry out multiple attacks

From about 6 in the morning onwards

The footage appears to show masses of paratroopers landing in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s largest city.

The United States seems to have known there was an invasion, according to ABC’s Martha Radac.

She said she had received a message from a senior Pentagon official three hours before the invasion, saying: “You are probably in the last few hours of peace on the European continent for a long time to come. Be careful.’

As the violence spread, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, wrote on Facebook that the Russian military had launched missile strikes on Ukrainian military command posts, air bases and military depots in Kiev, Kharkiv and the Dnieper.

Later in the morning, five Russian planes were reportedly shot down from the skies over Donbass before Moscow boasted that it was removing all air defenses, giving them control of the skies.

Ukrainian border guards say they have been attacked by heavy artillery, tanks and troops from Russia and Belarus – while Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko throws his forces into battle.

Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv were reportedly under attack in eastern Ukraine, but explosions were also reported in the west, in Zhytomyr and Lviv, near the Polish border.

Extraordinary videos show what appears to be a cruise missile crashing into Ivano-Frankivsk airport, also in the west.

Meanwhile, pro-Russian rebel forces have been pushed out of the occupied Donbass region, capturing two villages and claiming to have shot down two Ukrainian planes from the sky. The port city of Odessa, home to Ukraine’s main naval base, is also under attack.

ST. PAUL, Minnesota. The jury returned their verdict after about 13 hours of weighing whether three former Minneapolis cops violated George Floyd’s constitutional rights by not intervening to help him when he begged for air while Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck.

The verdict will soon be read in a federal courtroom in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the three former officers are Tou Tao, 36; J. Alexander Kueng, 28; and Thomas Lane, 38, have been on trial since January for their actions on May 25, 2020.

Mr. Kueng and Mr. Lane helped restrain Mr. Floyd, while Mr. Tao held back a group of worried bystanders. All three officers are accused of not providing medical attention to Mr. Floyd, and Mr. Kueng and Mr. Tao are also accused of not intervening to stop Mr. Chauvin.

ImageFormer Minneapolis police officers Tou Tao (left) and Alexander Kueng in St. Paul, Minnesota last month. Mr Tao, Mr Kueng and Thomas Lane were convicted Thursday of federal crimes. Photo by … Kerem Yousel / Agence France-Presse – Getty Images

ST. PAUL, Minnesota. On Thursday, three former Minneapolis police officers were found guilty of federal crimes for not intervening when another officer killed George Floyd by pressing his knee to his neck for more than nine minutes.

This case was an extremely rare example of officers being prosecuted by the Department of Justice for their inaction while another officer used excessive force. The verdicts signal to police departments across America that juries may become more inclined to convict not only officers who kill people on the job, but also those who watch them do it.

A federal jury determined that the officers were Tou Tao, 36; J. Alexander Kueng, 28; and Thomas Lane, 38, — willfully violated Mr Floyd’s constitutional rights by failing to provide him with medical attention when he lost his pulse, and that two of them were also guilty of not intervening to prevent fellow officer Derek Chauvin from balking knee in Mr Floyd. Neck Floyd.

Mr Kueng and Mr Lane both helped Mr Chauvin restrain Mr Floyd as he was handcuffed face down on the sidewalk. Mr. Tao stood nearby, driving away passers-by. Mr Chauvin was convicted of murder last year and sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison.

The convictions were a significant victory for the Justice Department, which under the Biden administration has pledged to more aggressively pursue civil rights violations. This came just days after federal prosecutors secured convictions for hate crimes against three white men in Georgia for assassination of Ahmad Arberya black man they pursued and killed.

Judge Paul A. Magnuson said he would allow the three men to remain free on bail until a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

Judge Magnuson has broad powers to impose punishment and can sentence officers to prison terms ranging from one year to life in prison. They continue to face state charges of aiding and abetting murder and are scheduled to go to trial this year. Federal prosecutors filed charges against Mr. Chauvin along with three other officers, but in December he reached a plea agreement with the Justice Department that prosecutors said they would seek a 25-year prison sentence.

Legal experts and racial justice activists have followed the case closely, saying it could have more repercussions for police than even Mr. Chauvin’s murder conviction. Experts say the case was rooted in a more common problem than a single officer’s act of violence: officers’ tendency to stay on the sidelines when they witness another officer committing a crime.

The jury’s decision, which came after approximately 13 hours of deliberation and after a month-long trial, suggests that they agreed with the prosecution’s arguments, that the officers knew at the time that Mr Floyd was in serious health and that Mr Chauvin was breaking down. . law. The verdict also rejected the argument that was made in each of the three defense arguments: that the officers trusted Mr. Chauvin, the senior officer at the scene, and therefore did not know that what he was doing was illegal.

According to Christy E. Lopez, professor at Georgetown University Law Center, the case is considered the first time the federal government has accused police officers of failing to intervene with a higher-ranking officer who used excessive force. Ms. Lopez studied case law on the matter with a team of researchers and was unable to find a similar prosecution. She has worked with police departments to train officers in their constitutional duty to intervene when they see colleagues breaking the law.

She said convictions could significantly change the culture of law enforcement, forcing agencies to make sure officers are properly trained and doing their jobs.

“It forces you to go beyond the rotten apple narrative,” Ms. Lopez said. She added, “Now you’re thinking, ‘Oh, everyone on stage played a part in this.’ This shifts the entire narrative from misconduct associated only with actions to misconduct also associated with acts of inaction.”

Robert Paul, Mr. Tao’s lawyer, told jurors during his closing statement, “Just because something has a tragic end doesn’t mean it’s a crime.”

Mr. Tao, a veteran officer who was Mr. Chauvin’s partner, held back the crowd while Mr. Lane and Mr. Kueng, both recruits, tried to arrest Mr. Floyd after a salesman in convenience store said he used a fake. 20 dollar bill to buy cigarettes.

All three officers, who, along with Mr. Chauvin, were fired the day after the assassination, were charged with one count of failure to provide medical care. Mr. Kueng and Mr. Tao were also charged with failing to intervene and stop Mr. Chauvin’s use of force; Mr Lane, who twice asked Mr Chauvin if they should turn Mr Floyd on his side so he can breathe easier, has not faced that accusation.

The 12 jurors who decided the case were drawn from all over Minnesota, because the trial was on federal crimes, and all 12 turned out to be white. This contrasted with the more racially diverse jury, drawn from the Minneapolis area, which convicted Mr. Chauvin and Kimberly Potter, a white officer in suburban Minneapolis who shot a black man after mistakenly drawing his gun instead of a stun gun during a traffic stop.

During the trial, prosecutors called for testimony from doctors, police officers, bystanders who had witnessed the murder, and a paramedic who arrived at the scene and stated that he believed Mr Floyd was already dead. Prosecutors relied on mountains of video evidence—from bystanders, from officers’ body cameras, from city surveillance cameras—that produced harrowing second-by-second footage of the murder.

One of the most important witnesses was Inspector Cathy Blackwell, a Minneapolis police officer who was previously in charge of training. She testified for three days about training recruits in the proper use of force and their constitutional duty to intervene when they see other officers using excessive force.

But defense attorneys attacked Inspector Blackwell, arguing that the department had failed to train officers to recognize when they were required to intervene, saying the discussion was formal and “little more than a word in PowerPoint.”

Under cross-examination, Thomas Plunkett, Mr Kuang’s lawyer, played a recording of Al Pacino’s fiery speech as a football coach in “Any Sunday,” a clip that was shown to police recruits. academy. Mr Plunkett said he believed the department was promoting a “cops against the world” mentality.

The defense also tried to focus jurors on the hierarchical and paramilitary aspects of police culture—how recruits are taught to obey their superiors and follow orders without question.

Unlike Mr. Chauvin, who did not testify at the trial, each of the three officers spoke in his defense, and they all stated that, in their opinion, Mr. Chauvin, as a senior officer, was responsible and knew what he was doing . They also said they would not admit that Mr Floyd was in a medical emergency.

“I think I would trust a 19-year-old veteran with this,” Mr. Tao said. Mr. Kueng, who had Mr. Chauvin as one of his field training officers, said: “He was my senior officer and I trusted his advice.”

To make things easier for the jury, prosecutors often used the phrase “in your custody, in your care” to describe the duty of officers to protect a detained suspect.

Also important in this case was a group of ordinary citizens, young and old, who, by force of circumstances, witnessed a murder near a convenience store in South Minneapolis almost two years ago.

Among them was Darnella Frazier, a teenager who was shopping for snacks with her young cousin and took out her cell phone to film officers wrestling on the ground with Mr Floyd. Her video went viral, spread around the world and drew millions to the streets to protest police brutality and racial injustice.

George Perry Floyd, 46, was a black security guard and former rapper who lost his job due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Chauvin and Mr Lane are white Mr Tao is an Asian American. as well as Mr Kueng black.

Throughout the trial, defense lawyers argued that the crowd members, who told the police over and over again that they were killing Mr Floyd and that he was struggling to breathe, distracted the police and possibly threatened them.

But prosecutors attempted to portray the onlookers’ actions as a powerful counterpoint to what the officers were doing, arguing that if a small crowd of ordinary citizens could clearly see that Mr Floyd was facing a major medical emergency, then three well-trained police officers certainly should have.

“You just need good old common sense,” Attorney Manda Sertich told the jury in her closing remarks. “And you just need good old human decency.”

The trial and its outcome marked another milestone in nearly two years of upheaval and trauma in the Twin Cities region, with a seemingly endless number of overlapping crises centered on the burning issues of police brutality and racial injustice.

The fatal shooting of Ms. Potter at Daunt Wright, a 20-year-old man who was on his way to get his car washed, occurred last April when Mr. Chauvin went to trial. During this trial, an officer from Minneapolis shot Amir Locke, a black man, when police conducted an unprecedented raid on an apartment building. The man the police were looking for, Mr. Locke’s cousin, was not at the apartment at the time of the raid, and the episode plunged the city further into turmoil, with more protests and calls for the mayor’s resignation.

During the four weeks of the trial, family members of Mr Floyd and his girlfriend Courtney Ross, who testified at Mr Chauvin’s trial, were frequently seen in the court gallery.

The trial of Mr. Kuang, Mr. Lane and Mr. Tao on charges of aiding and abetting murder by the state is scheduled for June. During the federal trial this week, the state attorneys who secured Mr. Chauvin’s conviction and are leading the state’s case against three other officers were seen in the audience and taking notes.

— Tim Arango, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs and Jay Center

More than 2,000 flights have been canceled in the United States as a winter storm breaks through to the northeast and is expected to result in six inches of snow by Friday.

More than 110 million Americans received weather warnings Thursday for a winter storm that will bring dangerous ice to the south and midwest on Thursday before dropping a combination of heavy snow, winter mix and rain in the northeast.

Until Thursday evening, ice and rain will continue in the southern plains and in Mississippi The valley, as snow is projected to increase in coverage and intensity in the Midwest and southern Great Lakes, while heavy rain with some isolated strong storms will move in the southeast, NBC News reported.

A man takes his puppy for a walk Thursday morning in Albuquerque after a winter storm poured a layer of snow at night in the area

A fresh layer is now visible in Mother Neff State Park in Moody, Texas on Thursday as a winter storm moves through the South and Midwest

A woman does not allow a winter storm to stop her from fleeing to New Mexico on Thursday morning after the area received a layer of snow at night

Usually sunny Flagstaff, Arizona sees snowfall on Wednesday after the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning yesterday

Historic San Felipe de Neri in New Mexico’s Old Town is seen with fresh snow on Thursday night as a winter storm breaks through the United States.

Ice accumulations of more than 0.25 inches from the Red River Valley in Texas through the Ozarks and southeastern Missouri are likely, according to the Weather Forecasting Center.

To prepare for the storm, the Texas Electricity Reliability Council warned of tight network conditions and some Texas school districts in Texas have canceled classes due to unsafe driving conditions, CNN reported.

Thousands of flights, mostly outside Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport, were also canceled and delayed.

By Thursday afternoon 2020, flights entering, leaving and traveling within the United States had been canceled, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.com.

As the storm shifts east at night, it is projected to cause 12-18 inches of snow in parts of New England, along with a mixture of snow, ice and rain for points south on Corridor I-95, Accuweather reported.

A map of the projected snowfall as a winter storm makes its way to the northeast on Thursday

The storm is expected to bring 12-18 inches of snow to parts of New England, along with a mixture of snow, ice and rain for points south on I-95

A huge snowstorm is expected to make its way northeast late Thursday, bringing heavy snow and winter mix and rain

“Heavy snow is expected in upstate New York and New England on Friday, when snow is likely to darken by 1 ft / h at times. It’s probably a dangerous trip, “tweeted the weather service.

The northeast is expected to be dry on Thursday, with a light mixture of rain and sleet expected to spread east to northern Maryland and Virginia and southern Pennsylvania on Thursday afternoon.

On Thursday night, most of central and southern Pennsylvania through central New Jersey will have rain and icy rain.

New York is expected to have about 2.5 inches of snow, which is expected to be around midnight on Thursday, as well as rain and icy rain, which will spread in the New York subway between late Thursday and Friday afternoon.

“After that, there will be a gradual transition to rain on Friday morning. However, roads and sidewalks are likely to still be slippery, especially over the northern and western suburbs and parts of central Long Island, where the winter mix is ​​likely to linger for a while, said AccuWeather meteorologist Adam Sadvari.

Bad weather has even forced the People’s Convoy heading to Washington to protest COVID’s mask and vaccine mandates to redirection

By Thursday afternoon, 2020 flights entering, leaving and traveling within the United States had been canceled, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.com

On Thursday morning, Chris Young, who is the administrator of the group’s Facebook page, announced the delay in his trip to Lupton, Arizona, citing “weather conditions.”

Young later released an updated route, as if to avoid bad conditions, and told Lupton supporters to prepare for their arrival. The convoy is still expected to arrive in the city on Friday, they are just moving on different roads to get there.

“Arrange over the aisles! Wave your flags! Get the kids to pump their hands! ‘ she wrote.

It is unclear what conditions the convoy met on the original route, as organizers did not respond immediately to a request for comment from DailyMail.com, but a storm fell about a meter of snow in parts of High County on Wednesday in Arizona.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning spanning from Flagstaff to the Nis Show until 11pm on Wednesday. When the truck drivers arrived in Kingman, about 150 miles east of Flagstaff, no snow was visible.

The People’s Convoy descended on Hwy 395 on Wednesday before being forced to reconsider its crossing route on Thursday due to bad weather in Arizona

On Thursday, the People’s Convoy (pictured heading south on I-81 on Wednesday) announced a delay on its way to Lupton, Arizona, citing “weather conditions.”