As many speculate that the war was declared on Wednesday night and is heading for Thursday, Kiev residents appear to be gassed and trying to leave the city by car and rail this morning just hours after the Russian president Vladimir Putin crossed the Belarusian border with tanks.

The reality of the war has finally dawned on many Ukrainians, who have denied that Putin will actually invade. Many are now rushing to the western border to flee the incoming tanks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law.

Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital and other major cities following Vladimir Putin’s announcement that a military operation had begun.

Photos and video show Ukrainians leaving Kiev on Thursday morning as air raid sirens blew through the capital.

Many either headed for the exits or lined up in long lines for gas, with some stopping at ATMs in advance.

Intense queues were also observed at a Kiev metro station with people trying to board trains to escape the city. Some just went to the station to find refuge.

The Russian president announced the action during a televised address early Thursday morning, saying the move was in response to threats from Ukraine.

He added that Russia had no intention of occupying Ukraine. Putin says the Ukrainian regime is responsible for the bloodshed.

Putin also warned other countries that any attempt to interfere in Russia’s actions would lead to “consequences they have never seen.”

Residents of Kiev are leaving the city after pre-emptive missile strikes by the Russian armed forces

Explosions were heard and seen in several cities in Ukraine early in the morning

Residents were spotted traveling to work, even when air raids sounded

People queue in front of ATM in Mariupol after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorizes military operation in eastern Ukraine

A man named Alexander (right) reassures his son while the family takes refuge in a metro station in Kiev

Some cars have been spotted driving to the city’s exits after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine.

People line up for fuel at a gas station in Severodonetsk, Luhansk region

Residents of the capital are leaving the city

Cars stand in a long queue near a gas station while waiting to refuel

People, some with bags and suitcases, walk to the metro station in Kiev early on February 24

Before Thursday, there were some provocative attitudes from the people of Ukraine about whether the Russians would really go through the invasion.

Ukrainians opposed pressure from Moscow only last week with a national show of unity on Wednesday, although the West warned it saw no signs of a promised withdrawal of Russian troops from the country’s borders.

President Vladimir Zelensky, who announced that “Unity Day” coincides with the hearing date of Putin’s invasion, addressed the nation after the attack failed, telling his compatriots that “we can only protect our home if we stay.” united “.

“We are united by the desire to live happily in peace,” he added, before flying by helicopter to a training ground in western Ukraine, where tank and aircraft combat exercises are being held.

Across the country, people of all ages waved flags in the streets and windows of apartments to greet with two fingers at Putin’s threat to attack with about 150,000 troops gathered at the border.

Hundreds unfurled a 650-foot flag at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium, and another was draped in a shopping mall in the capital. In the government-controlled part of the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, where the war with Russian-backed separatists has been raging since 2014, residents have hoisted another huge flag across the street.

Hundreds of Ukrainians unfurl 650-foot flag at Kiev Olympic Stadium as part of Unity Day celebrations a week ago

Vladimir Zelensky called for the celebrations to coincide with the rumor of a Russian attack, saying Ukrainians are united by a desire to live in peace

Ukrainians wave flags in Maidan Square, where the revolution that toppled the country’s last pro-Russian government was brought down, leading it to closer ties with the West

The Ukrainian Premier League, the highest national football competition, was originally due to resume after a two-month winter break on Friday.

The Premier League takes a winter break every season and the clubs have not played since December 12. They mostly warm up and train in Turkey, which is on the other side of the Black Sea.

They have to return to play on Friday, February 25, when the second club at the bottom, Minai, hosts fourth-ranked Zorya Luhansk.

Ukraine’s Border Protection Agency said on Thursday morning that the Russian military had attacked the country from neighboring Belarus.

The agency said Russian troops had launched artillery shelling as part of a Belarusian-backed attack. They said Ukrainian border guards were retaliating, adding that there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Russian troops have stationed with their ally Belarus for military exercises, a move the West saw as a prelude to an invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian capital Kiev is about 50 miles south of the border with Belarus.

The president of Ukraine declared martial law and urged citizens not to panic as Russia launched military strikes on the country, while the country’s foreign minister called it a “full-scale invasion”.

The Russian president announced the action during a televised address early Thursday morning, saying the move was in response to threats from Ukraine.

Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, as well as in Odessa and Kharkiv after Vladimir Putin announced that the military operation had begun.

The sound of distant explosions was caught in a live broadcast from the American channel CNN, which made reporter Matthew Chance wear a bulletproof vest.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia had launched a “full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”

Mr Kuleba said Ukraine would defend itself against Russian aggression “and win”.

Ukraine has declared martial law

He said: “Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are on strike.

“This is an aggressive war. Ukraine will defend itself and win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time for action is now.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN told the Security Council that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “declared war on Ukraine.”

He also pressured his Russian counterpart to say Russia would not shell or bomb Ukrainian cities.

Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are on strike. This is an aggressive war. Ukraine will defend itself and win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time for action is now.

– Dmitry Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 24, 2022

Ukrainian Ambassador Sergei Kislitsya said that if Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia fails to respond in the affirmative, he should step down as chairman of Russia’s Security Council this month.

The Ukrainian then called for a new emergency meeting of the Security Council, calling on the UN body to “stop the war because it is too late to talk about de-escalation.”

Kislitsa then asked if he should release a video of Putin announcing military operations in Ukraine.

Nebenzia replied: “This is not called war. This is called a special military operation in Donbass.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Russia’s attack on Ukraine is the “saddest moment” of his five-year term.

Mr Guterres called on the Russian president to withdraw his troops and added: “In the name of humanity, do not allow Europe to start the worst war of the century, with consequences not only devastating for Ukraine, not only tragic for the Russian Federation, but with an impact we cannot even foresee in terms of the consequences for the world economy. “

“What is clear to me is that this war makes no sense,” Mr Guterres added, stressing that it violated the UN Charter and would cause a level of suffering that Europe had not known at least since the crisis. The Balkans in the 1990s.

Asian stock markets fell and oil prices rose after Putin declared Russian military action in Ukraine.

Markets in Tokyo and Seoul fell 2%, while Hong Kong and Sydney lost more than 3% on Thursday. Oil prices jumped by nearly $ 3 (2.22 British pounds) per barrel due to concerns about a possible disruption of Russian supplies.

Earlier, Wall Street’s S and P 500 fell 1.8 percent to an eight-month low after the Kremlin said rebels in eastern Ukraine had called for military aid.

A pelvic floor therapist has revealed the simple stretching exercises he recommends to relieve menstrual cramps, and fans who have tried them insist they really work.

Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, a Massachusetts-based doctor of physical therapy, demonstrates yoga movements in a video shared on her popular @scrambledjam TikTok account.

“Some of my favorite things,” signed the 30-year-old, which has been viewed more than 4.1 million times since it was released earlier this month.

Scroll down for video

Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, a Massachusetts-based physiotherapist, demonstrates her “best” stretching exercises to relieve menstrual cramps in an already viral video on TikTok

Jeffrey-Thomas, who started with the child’s posture, recommended doing each of the exercises for a minute or more, focusing on breathing

Stretch the pain! The best movements to relieve menstrual cramps

• Children’s pose
• pigeon
• Cat / cow
• Spinal circles
• Raised legs on the wall

Hold each for one minute while inhaling for five seconds and exhaling for five seconds

Jeffrey-Thomas began with the child’s posture, showing her sitting on her knees and leaning forward, arms outstretched in front of her.

The physiotherapist then brought her left leg forward, as if about to make a leg, and dropped her knee to the floor in a pigeon position. Her left leg remained outstretched behind her as she stretched.

Next was the cat-cow pose, combined with spinal circles. She was on her knees on all fours as she inhaled and twisted her waist and raised her head like a cow. Then she twisted her spine and bowed her head like a cat.

As she alternated between these two positions, she made circles with her back.

For her last pose, she simply leaned her feet against the wall in front of her as she lay on her back with her hands on her stomach.

Jeffrey-Thomas recommends doing each of the exercises for a minute or more, focusing on breathing.

She explained that you should inhale for five seconds, “leaving your lower abdomen to swell as if you had swallowed a beach ball,” and then exhale for five to seven seconds.

The physiotherapist then brought her left leg forward, as if about to step, and dropped her knee to the floor in a pigeon pose.

She was then on all fours, doing the cat-cow pose combined with spinal circles.

For her last pose, she simply rests with her feet on the wall in front of her while lying on her back with her hands on her stomach.

More than 11,000 TikTok users have commented on the video, and a number of women have shared which poses are best for them.

“The child’s posture is SO DIFFERENT during bad cramps,” one woman wrote, and another added, “I actually fell asleep in a child’s posture during bad night cramps.”

“The child’s posture and the pigeon are the best for me,” said someone else.

Others were surprised that they already “instinctively” knew how to do these stretches when suffering from menstrual pain.

The video seemed like an incredible moment for a number of viewers who had just started menstruating and were looking for relief.

“Perfect time when I just started my cycle and it hurts,” said one TikToker.

The video has been viewed more than 4.1 million times and many fans have joined in the comments to share which poses are best for them.

Jeffrey-Thomas also went viral last summer after she warned you not to pee in the shower, saying it could lead to “leak problems” in the future.

“I literally started my period 10 minutes ago,” added another.

“But how does the algorithm know?” someone else is joking.

Jeffrey-Thomas did titles last summer, when she warned you not to pee in the shower, saying it could lead to “leak problems” in the future.

“If you pee in the shower or turn on the tap or take a shower and then sit on the toilet to pee while the water is flowing, you create an association in your brain between the sound of running water and the need to pee,” she told viewers.

“We combine this with pelvic floor dysfunction – either now or down – then this will potentially lead to some leak problems when you hear running water outside the shower.”

She added that people born with a female anatomy were “not designed to urinate upright”, explaining that the bladder would not empty properly because the pelvic floor was not relaxed properly.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wore the same outfit he wore two days ago during an unhinged speech claiming Russia created Ukraine in announcing his invasion on early Thursday morning, sparking concerns he had already taken the decision to unleash a war on Monday.   

In a chilling warning to US President Biden and NATO to not intervene as the Kremlin launches a full-scale invasion to ‘denazify’ Ukraine, Putin could be seen wearing the same suit and red tie he wore on Monday to lay out his factually inaccurate version of Ukraine’s history, saying essentially that it was always part of Russia.  

In hindsight, Putin’s attempts to rewrite history at his convenience, could be interpreted as evidence that he had already decided to invade Ukraine, and that he misled leaders in the West who pleaded with him for diplomacy.   

Putin announced the invasion in a 5.50am speech Thursday to the Russian people, saying he wants to ‘demilitarize’ and ‘de-Nazify’ the neighboring country – not occupy it. 

But within hours, Ukraine’s interior ministry said there had been hundreds of casualties, CNN reported – despite Russia insisting early that they were only attacking military installations, and were avoiding populated areas. 

It comes after explosions were heard near the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, as fears mounted that shelling is underway.  

Residents in the city, which is located in south eastern Ukraine, have been woken up at 3.30am this morning by blasts 30 miles from the Russian border.

Video footage appeared to show clouds of smoke rising up into the night sky near Mariupol, but it was unconfirmed whether it was as a result of shelling.  

Unconfirmed reports said that Russian forces had destroyed or rendered unusable the Ukrainian navy, and taken control of Boryspil Airport in Kiev.

Access to the Black Sea and Azov Sea was cut off.

Unconfirmed reports on Twitter appeared to show a huge seaborne landing by Russian forces in the Black Sea port of Odesa, involving large landing craft and helicopters shortly before 6am local time.  

Russian President Vladimir Putin wore the same outfit he wore two days ago (left on Monday) to announce his invasion of Ukraine on early Thursday morning (right on Thursday)

Explosions are seen in the early hours of Thursday in Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine

An explosion is seen in the early hours of Thursday in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv

Kharkiv, with a population of 1.4 million, appeared to be under attack in the early hours of Thursday

 In his speech to the Russian public on Monday night, a sometimes sullen, sometimes angry-sounding Putin was dismissive of modern-day Ukraine, arguing that its creation as a sovereign state was a tragedy and an accident of communist leaders in the 20th century. 

Acting as though there had never been a historical Ukraine until Soviet times, Putin blamed at times Vladimir Lenin, at times Stalin and at one point he saved scorn for the decision of Nikita Khrushchev to take Crimea from Russia in 1954 and award it to Ukraine.

As with all historical narratives, there were elements of truth in what Putin was saying. Ukrainians and Russians are related eastern Slavic peoples whose destinies have been both intertwined and separated throughout history.  

The explosions on Thursday came just hours after the US warned the Ukrainian government that Putin’s troops are ‘ready to go now’ with an invasion of Ukraine, with 80 per cent of Russian soldiers now assembled around the country in attack positions. 

 ‘To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside – if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history,’ Putin said on a television broadcast. 

On Monday, Putin had warned Russia could not exist with a ‘constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine’ as he said clashes between Russian and Ukrainian solders was ‘inevitable’.  

Ukraine’s military said their air defenses shot down five Russian planes and a helicopter in the early hours of Thursday in the east of the country, near Kharkiv. 

Ukraine’s border force said that their posts in the north have come under attack from both Russian and Belorussian forces – a hugely significant development, meaning Russia is not acting alone, and is attacking from all sides. 

The livestream video of the invasion from Belarus was taken at the Senkivka, Ukraine crossing with Veselovka, Belarus. The column was seen entering Ukraine around 6:48am local time, CNN reported. 

A Ukrainian government spokesman confirmed that Russia had invaded over the Belarus border as well, only 120 miles from Kiev. 

He said: ‘The state border of Ukraine was attacked by troops from Russia and Belarus.

‘At about 5am, the state border of Ukraine, in the area with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, was attacked by Russian troops supported by Belarus.

‘Attacks on border units, border patrols and checkpoints are carried out with the use of artillery, heavy equipment and small arms.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posted a video message early on Thursday and urged Ukrainians to stay at home, and remain calm, telling them to have faith in their country

‘This is happening within Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Zhytomyr regions.’

The government spokesman also said that Ukraine was attacked from Crimea.

‘The work of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups is also recorded,’ the spokesman continued.

‘Depending on the situation on the border, border guards together with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard of Ukraine are firing at the enemy.

‘Information on injuries among border guards is being clarified.’ 

The Russian president early on Thursday told Ukrainian service members to ‘lay down their arms and go home’ as he declared war on Ukraine in an early morning address to the nation. 

Putin said Russia could not exist with a ‘constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine’ and clashes between Russian and Ukrainian solders was ‘inevitable’. 

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, declared martial law in the early hours of Thursday, in a video message to the people urging people to remain at home and stay strong. He said he had just spoken to Joe Biden.

‘We are working. The army is working,’ he said. 

‘Don’t panic. We are strong. We are ready for everything. We will defeat everyone. Because we are Ukraine.

Tanks can be seen, to the right of the image, rolling past a border post between Ukraine and Belarus in the early hours of Thursday

Unconfirmed reports said that Russian forces had destroyed or rendered unusable the Ukrainian navy, and taken control of Boryspil Airport in Kiev.

Access to the Black Sea and Azov Sea was cut off.

More unconfirmed reports on Twitter appeared to show a huge seaborne landing by Russian forces in the Black Sea port of Odessa, involving large landing craft and helicopters shortly before 6am local time.  

President Joe Biden will address the nation at noon on Thursday, and on Wednesday night he condemned Russia’s ‘unprovoked and unjustified attack.’ He was speaking to Ukraine’s president.

Biden said in a statement: ‘President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.

‘Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.’

Biden said he will be monitoring the situation from Washington, DC, and will continue to get regular updates from his national security team.

The developments came as:

• Explosions were heard across Ukraine, with the capital Kiev coming under attack and the city’s main airport appearing to be a target, as well as a nearby military base.
• Reports said the port city of Odessa was coming under amphibious assault, while another Black Sea port city, Mariupol, was under fierce attack.
• Military assaults appeared underway on Kharkiv in the far east of Ukraine.
• Ukraine’s government declared martial law and urged people to stay at home as the onslaught continues. 
• Russia insisted in the early hours of Thursday that it was targeting military installations and avoiding populated areas, but Ukraine said there had been hundreds of casualties.
• Joe Biden was speaking to Ukraine’s president in the early hours of Thursday, having earlier through his UN ambassador voiced his strong continued support for the country. 

Vladimir Putin is pictured in the early hours of Thursday morning declaring war on Ukraine, in what he termed a ‘special military operation’

President Joe Biden, pictured on Wednesday, condemned Putin’s invasion of Ukraine

Footage shared on social media from Odessa appeared to show an amphibious assault

Biden announced he will join G7 counterparts on Thursday morning, and will address the country later on Thursday to ‘announce the further consequences the United States and its Allies and partners will impose on Russia.’

‘We will also coordinate with our NATO Allies to ensure a strong, united response that deters any aggression against the Alliance. Tonight, Jill and I are praying for the brave and proud people of Ukraine,’ the statement added. 

Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, tweeted early on Thursday: ‘I am appalled by the horrific events in Ukraine and I have spoken to President Zelenskyy to discuss next steps. President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine. 

‘The UK and our allies will respond decisively.’

Metadata of Putin’s declaration of war video shows it was recorded on Monday evening, but only broadcast early Thursday.

At the time, some Russian officials were denying any intention to invade.

The Russian armed forces are not inflicting any missile, air or artillery strikes on the cities of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow told RIA Novosti.

Military infrastructure, air defense facilities, military airfields and aviation of the Ukrainian army were being disabled by high-precision weapons, they said.

Nothing threatens the civilian population of Ukraine, they claimed.

All flights cancelled at Russian airports in Krasnodar, Sochi, and Anapa, close to the Black Sea.

Rostov also reported cancelled flights. 

Within minutes of Putin’s public address, explosions could be heard in the capital city of Kiev as well as the city of Kramatorsk in central Ukraine, and Odessa in the south. 

Across Ukraine, cruise and ballistic missiles were destroying military infrastructure and strategically important facilities, according to unofficial Russian sources.

Mariupol, on the Black Sea 50 miles from the Russian border, appeared to be under fierce attack. Taking this strategic location would give the Donbas republics access to the sea.

The moment Ukraine and the rest of Europe had dreaded for months finally came shortly after 4.35am local time when huge explosions were heard in Kiev and other cities across the country.

Terrified citizens rushed to bomb shelters, though no air raid warnings sounded in the capital – only the frequent muffled crump of missile or air strikes breaking through the pre-dawn stillness.

In Kiev, people were sheltering in basements as the sounds of distant explosions became a constant backdrop.

Within an hour Russians special force and airborne troops were reported to be on the ground at Kiev’s Boryspil Airport, amid fierce fighting. 

A woman in the Ukrainian capital said: ‘I was woken by a friend.

‘I am in the centre of Kiev.

‘I hear the sound of distant explosions and ambulance sirens.’

At 7.05am the first air raid sirens were heard in central Kiev. 

A CNN reporter in Kiev reported hearing blasts live on air in the early hours of Thursday morning.

‘I just heard a big bang right here behind me. I’ve never heard anything like it,’ said Matthew Chance, senior international correspondent for the network.

Chance said that he heard between seven and eight explosions and quickly put on his flak jacket and headgear while he continued to report from a balcony in the Ukrainian capital.  

A CNN reporter in the Ukrainian capital Kiev reporting hearing blasts in the early hours of Thursday morning

Chance did not want to take any chances and set about putting on his flak jacket and helmet 

‘There are big explosions taking place. I can’t see them or explain what they are. 

‘But I will tell you the U.S has warned the Ukrainian authorities there could be air strikes and ground attacks as well around the country, including the capital. 

‘I don’t know if that’s what’s occurring now but it’s a remarkable coincidence that the explosions come just minutes after Putin gave his speech,’ Chance explained. 

‘This is the first time we’ve heard anything. It has been absolutely silent. This is the first time. It has to be more than just a coincidence. 

‘I think it’s safe where I am. I have a flak jacket,’ Chance remarked before ducking down to put on his protective gear.

Chance, located on a balcony in the Ukrainian capital quickly put on his protective headgear

Chance, who had been to the Ukrainian capital many times in recent years said he had ‘never heard anything like it’

He suggested that the blasts he heard in the Ukrainian capital but still some distance away from the center.

‘It was so quiet in Ukraine tonight up until those explosions,’ Chance explained. 

The blasts came within minutes of Putin saying Russia would conduct a military operation in eastern Ukraine.

Explosions could also be heard from Ukraine in the Russian city of Belgorod. 

Putin told Russians: ‘I have decided to conduct a special military operation. Russia cannot exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine.

‘You and I have been left with no opportunity to protect our people other than the one we use today.’

It comes after explosions were also heard near the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, as fears mounted that shelling is underway.

Residents in the city, which is located in south eastern Ukraine, have been woken up at 3.30am this morning by blasts 30 miles from the Russian border.

Video footage appeared to show clouds of smoke rising up into the night sky near Mariupol, but it was unconfirmed whether it was as a result of shelling.

Putin earlier this week said he wanted to take the major Azov Sea Port of Mariupol, which handles 50 per cent Ukraine’s steel and mineral exports. 

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia’s actions were a ‘grave breach of international law’ and that allies would meet to address the ‘renewed aggression’.

He said on Twitter: ‘I strongly condemn #Russia’s reckless attack on #Ukraine, which puts at risk countless civilian lives. This is a grave breach of international law & a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security. #NATO Allies will meet to address Russia’s renewed aggression.’

The British foreign secretary Liz Truss tweeted her condemnation of the attack just after 4am local time.

‘I strongly condemn the appalling, unprovoked attack President Putin has launched on the people of Ukraine,’ she said.

‘We stand with Ukraine and we will work with our international partners to respond to this terrible act of aggression.’

The explosions come just hours after the U.S. warned the Ukrainian government that Putin’s troops are ‘ready to go now’ with an invasion of Ukraine, with 80 per cent of Russian soldiers now assembled around the country in attack positions.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken issued a further stark warning and said, hours before the invasion, that he believed Russia would invade before the night is over.  

Russia on Wednesday afternoon issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) which closed the airspace along its northeastern border with Ukraine to all civilian air traffic. 

Ukraine later said early on Thursday it had restricted civilian flights in its airspace due to ‘potential hazard’.

Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed that the Ukrainian people will ‘fight back’ if Putin threatens their freedom and lives by launching a full-scale invasion.

President Zelenskyy made an emotional address to his nation after Moscow-backed rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine asked Putin for military assistance in fending off Ukrainian ‘aggression’.  

In an emotional televised address on Wednesday night, President Zelenskyy said: ‘The people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine want peace.  

‘But if we come under attack, if we face an attempt to take away our country, our freedom, our lives and 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 this evening, but there was ‘no answer, only silence’, adding that Moscow now has around 200,000 soldiers by Ukraine’s borders.  

The United Nations Security Council quickly scheduled an emergency meeting Wednesday night – the second in three days – at Ukraine’s request. 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the separatists’ request ‘a further escalation of the security situation.’ 

Footage shows smoke supposedly rising on the skyline after the blasts were heard near Mariupol, eastern Ukraine

Russian armored vehicles are loaded onto railway platforms at a railway station in the Rostov-on-Don region, not far from Russia-Ukraine border, on Wednesday

Putin has recognized two areas in eastern Ukraine as independent and authorized Russian troops to go in on ‘peacekeeping’ missions. Rebels already hold part of that territory (in red) but Putin has recognized a much-wider region (yellow)

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed that the Ukrainian people will ‘fight back’

An expedition searching for Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship found itself stuck in the same piece of ice where Endurance sank more than a century ago.

SA Agulhas II crashed after the mercury dropped to -10C at the same spot in the Wedel Sea where Shackleton’s ship was thought to have last been seen in 1915.

But fortunately, thanks to technological advances such as mechanical cranes, engine power and an aviation fuel box, the crew managed to free the ship by Tuesday night.

This was said by historian Dan Snow, who is on board the SA Agulhas II The times“Smart people told me along the way, ‘How do you know you’re not going to get on the ice like Shackleton?’

“I said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ We have all the technology. “But now we’re frozen.”

SA Agulhas II (photo file above) crashed after the mercury dropped to -10C at the same spot in the Wedell Sea where Shackleton’s ship was thought to have last been seen in 1915.

Endurance is one of two ships used by the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917, which hopes to make the first land crossing in Antarctica. Pictured: A photograph of a ship stranded in packed ice, taken in October 1915, a few weeks before sinking

Mr Snow also posted a video on social media showing the crew’s efforts to free the ship with a crane to turn a large box of helicopter fuel back and forth.

Mensun Bound, the expedition’s director, said: “Archeology was never meant to be like that.

“We are stuck and I’m cold and I want to go home. This is not a good thing.

The research ship previously participated in the Wedel Marine Expedition in 2019, where it managed to reach the rough location of the wreckage, yet he did not find it.

Endurance is one of two ships used by the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917, which hopes to make the first land crossing of Antarctica.

Carrying an expeditionary crew of 28, the 144-foot-long Endurance was a three-masted schooner built solidly for polar water operations.

In order to land in Vahsel Bay, the ship crashed into packed ice in the Wedel Sea on January 18, 1915 – where she and her crew would remain for many months.

At the end of October, however, the drop in temperature from 42 ° F to -14 ° F led to the ice pack constantly crushing Endurance, which finally sank on November 21, 1915.

Carrying an expeditionary crew of 28, the 144-foot-long Endurance was a three-masted schooner built solidly for polar water operations. Pictured: Endurance, stuck in thick ice, counting heavily on the gate

Fortunately, thanks to technological advances such as mechanical cranes, engine power and an aviation fuel box, the crew managed to free the ship by Tuesday night. Pictured: SA Agulhas II, the expedition’s ice-breaking polar research ship, seen here in 2019.

The crew made their way across the ice to Elephant Island, where most remained while Shackleton and five others sailed in an open boat to South Georgia for help.

On board the steam tug Yelcho – lent to him by the Chilean Navy – Shackleton managed to return to save the rest of his crew on August 30, 1916.

Part of the preparations undertaken before the launch of the expedition this month were marine trials, in which the so-called SAAB Sabertooth hybrid underwater deepwater search engines were deployed and tested.

According to marine archaeologists, these state-of-the-art drones are able to follow a pre-programmed course and can transmit sensor data and real-time images to the surface via optical cable.

The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust said one of the key objectives of the Endurance22 expedition was “to bring the history of Shackleton, its ship and its crew to a new and younger audience”.

It adds: “The challenges of research and development that are fundamental to our understanding of climate change are part of this story.”

To that end, he has teamed up with History Hit – the media service co-founded by British historian Dan Snow – and plans to broadcast footage of the expedition on several digital channels and social media platforms.

Mr Snow, who serves as creative director of History Hit, said: “Hunting for Shackleton’s remains will be the greatest story in the world of history in 2022.

“As a partner operator, we will be able to reach tens of millions of fans of history around the world, in real time.

“We will tell the story of Shackleton and this expedition to find his lost ship like never before.”

Sir Ernest Shackleton: Famous British Antarctic adventurer

Sir Ernest Shackleton during the 1908 expedition to Antarctica

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was a British Antarctic explorer who led three expeditions to the frozen continent.

It was at the heart of a period in history that later became known as the “heroic age of Antarctic exploration.”

Born in Ireland, Shackleton moved to London with his family when he was 10 and first experienced the polar climate as an officer in Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s 1901-1904 expedition.

He was sent home earlier than this expedition after working in poor health, which was attributed to scurvy. New research shows he had beriberi.

During Nimrod’s 1907-1909 expedition, Shackleton and his companions created a new record of the farthest south latitude, 88 degrees south.

The disaster befell his next expedition, the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-1917, when the Endurance ship was trapped in packed ice.

The crew escaped by launching lifeboats and reaching nearby islands, traveling across stormy oceans 830 miles away.

He returned to Antarctica for the last time in 1921 with the Shackleton-Rouet expedition, but died of a heart attack on January 5, 1922, while his ship was moored in South Georgia.

Although Shackleton is best known for his research, his legacy is also one of the opportunities for a significant amount of research.

His expeditions helped to conduct comprehensive scientific and geographical studies, including the first studies of the interior of Antarctica and the effective location of the Magnetic South Pole.

“Shackleton is an iconic figure in Antarctic history with the most incredible legacy of courage and effort,” said Camilla Nickel, CEO of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.

– But sometimes we ignore the contribution of his expeditions to science.

“To this day, Antarctica is a major barometer of climate change at the heart of climate science.

“We preserve Shackleton’s legacy to inspire the next generation of pioneering scientists and researchers.”

A former U.S. Army soldier convicted of having sex with a minor has been prosecuted after a Florida deputy was shot several times: an officer fights for his life after being blown up

• Gregory Ryan Miedema, 33, is suspected of shooting a cop late Tuesday night
• The registered sex offender was last seen on US 19 near Deer Run Road in Perry
• It can travel in a 2000 gold Chrysler Sebring with a Florida license plate Y78TKU. The vehicle is dark in color
• A badly injured unidentified Taylor County deputy has been airlifted with life-threatening injuries, according to a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol.
• Miedema was convicted in 2011 while serving in the U.S. Army on one charge of sex with a minor and one charge of child pornography
• He was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison, followed by two months probation

from Eduard Glazarev for Dailymail.Com

Published: 06:26 GMT, 23 February 2022 | Updated: 7:14 AM GMT on February 23, 2022

Florida police are looking for a convicted child swindler who allegedly shot several times the deputy sheriff late Tuesday night.

A badly injured unidentified Taylor County deputy has been airlifted with life-threatening injuries, according to a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol.

A blue alert was issued shortly after 11:30 p.m. for the suspected shooter, who was identified as 33-year-old Gregory Ryan Miedema.

He was last seen on US 19 near Deer Run Road in Perry, about 50 miles southeast of Tallahassee.

The accident happened six miles south of Salem, according to the FHP.

Police did not provide details on what led to the shooting.

Gregory Ryan Miedema, 33, is suspected of shooting a Florida lawmaker late Tuesday night.

Convicted bully last seen driving Chrysler convertible in North Florida

Miedema, a registered sex offender, was convicted in 2011 while serving in the U.S. military on one charge of sex with a minor and one charge of child pornography.

He was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison, followed by a two-month probation period, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, which lists state violators.

Miedema, who is listed at 5 feet 8, 165 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes, recently moved to Sarasota.

The former inmate was not under the supervision of the Florida Department of Corrections, but he was not allowed to live within 1,000 feet of a school, kindergarten, park or playground.

It can travel in a 2000 gold Chrysler Sebring with the Florida registration number Y78TKU. The vehicle is dark in color. He was reportedly wearing a dark tank top.

Police warned him not to approach the dangerous ex-soldier.

A blue alert shall be issued if a law enforcement officer is seriously injured, killed by a subject or disappears in the performance of official duties in circumstances that cause concern for the safety of the law enforcement officer.

Miedema was convicted in 2011 while serving in the U.S. Army on one charge of sex with a minor and one charge of child pornography

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TOP BEACHES IN THE WORLD

1. Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos

2. Varadero Beach, Cuba

3. Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Australia

4. Quarta Praia, Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil

5. Eagle Beach, Aruba

6. Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India

7. Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

8. Trunk Bay Beach, St. John’s, Virgin Islands

9. Baía dos Golfinhos, Praia da Pipa, Brazil

10. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Italy

11. Cable Beach, Broome, Australia

12. Falésia Beach, Olhos de Agua, Portugal

13. Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area, Hawaii

14. Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Florida

15. Maho Bay Beach, St. John, Virgin Islands

16. Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii

17. Playa de Muro beach, Mallorca, Spain

18. Playa Manuel Antonio, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

19. Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres, Mexico

20. Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar, Tanzania

21. Magens Bay, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

22. Nissi Beach, Ayia Napa, Cyprus

23. Bavaro Beach, Dominican Republic

24. Balos Lagoon, Crete, Greece

25. Yonaha Maehama Beach, Miyakoima, Japan

TOP BEACHES IN EUROPE

1. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Italy

2. Falésia Beach, Olhos de Agua, Portugal

3. Playa de Muro, Mallorca, Spain

4. Nissi Beach, Cyprus

5. Balos Lagoon, Crete, Greece

6. Kleftiko Beach, Milos, Greece

7. Luskentier, Harris Island, Scotland

8. Bamberg Beach, Northumberland, United Kingdom

9. Sotavento Beach, Fuerteventura, Spain

10. Cala Rossa Beach, Favignana Island, Italy

11. Portminster Beach, United Kingdom

12. Playa de Ces Iletes, Formentera, Spain

13. Rainisfjar beach, Iceland

14. Praia Da Rocha, Portugal

15. Playa de las Canteras, Gran Canaria, Spain

16. Sarakiniko Beach, Milos, Greece

17. Plage du Sillon, Saint-Malo, France

18. Lou Impostu Beach, Sardinia, Italy

19. Weymouth Beach, Dorset, United Kingdom

20. Kaputas Beach, Kash, Turkey

21. Falasarna Beach, Crete, Greece

22. Fig Tree Bay, Protaras, Cyprus

23. Tropea Beach, Italy

24. Plage de Palombaggia, Corsica, France

25. Cleopatra Beach, Alanya, Turkey

He writes and makes mistakes! Funny photos reveal how passive-aggressive people go to war in the form of notes

• Daily Stuff shared when people had no choice but to leave annoyed notes to strangers, neighbors or relatives when they were embarrassed
• One parks in two parking spaces, so someone draws it with chalk
• Another man used a sympathy card for someone grieving to say he had quit his job

from Lizzie May for Mailonline

Published: 08:02 GMT, 23 February 2022 | Updated: 8:35 AM GMT on February 23, 2022

Sometimes your day can be completely ruined by someone being selfish or just not thinking about their surroundings and other people, and usually the best way to resolve things is to say it.

But some people think this is the best way to express their opinion in a passive aggressive note.

Everyday things has collected funny notes left for people by an angry man who can’t tell them what they think face to face.

Imagine you are in a parking lot and the only place left is a small vehicle crammed over two slots, which leaves you with no choice but to drive miles elsewhere.

One man was so annoyed by a car sitting just above the line of two spaces that he drew it in chalk and wrote below, “A parking space just for you.”

Or you’re at work and your colleagues sitting next to you are ruining a great TV show by constantly discussing it, but you don’t want to remind them to shut up the day after the last episode.

Here FEMAIL chooses some of the best from around the world …

A man in the United States was so annoyed by a car standing just above the two-space line that he painted it with chalk and wrote below, “A parking space just for you.”

This man was not very happy after leaving the restaurant, as the waiter turned his full attention to his wife, leaving him feeling quite irritated and wanting to give advice about it.

Washing wars! It can be really frustrating when you’re the only one doing some housework, but printing posters like this usually doesn’t end well.

This is one way to give up! This man in the United States took on his administrative duties to release his frustration by discreetly writing in the description of this oven “MY BOSS IS PR ***”

Sticky notes are great for writing down your thoughts before you forget – and this driver wanted to make sure that the selfish man who parked far away on the road in the United States also did not forget

Watch this space! Leaving work can be a little awkward, but the one who leaves simplifies things with a very rude letter of resignation.

Look at this! Consumers of public toilets have revealed what exactly they think of this sign with a little passive aggressive ticking

There’s nothing worse than a small parking space – especially if it’s the only one left. So this Briton wanted to remind the culprit of his manners and told him, “You must think I’m a bloody sardine.”

Sympathy cards are usually kept for moments of grief for those who have lost loved ones. But Alex decided to get creative with it – and used it as a way to tell his bosses he was leaving.

Part of watching great TV shows is the anticipation of episode after episode … but the colleagues who sit next to you and constantly discuss this will completely ruin it. So this man took matters into his own hands, putting a note down to say what he thought without saying it

It sounds like this apartment complex knew that this relationship was on a rock before those who were actually in the couple – so they left this note to the boyfriend and girlfriend at 2 am to say that they were tired of listening to how drive every night

Living in an apartment means sharing common spaces and objects, just like a mailbox – and there will always be confusion from time to time. But this man in the United States was not happy with his neighbor, who took his package as an athletic supporter, which aims to protect the lower regions of the man

This woman worked hard to keep her parking space in the parking lot for her apartment, but someone who also lives in the block did not appreciate it and continued to take up space – so she sent this gentle warning in the form of a note to say never do it again

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Global stocks fell in Asian markets on Thursday. Dollar, gold and oil prices soared, and US government bond yields fell amid growing fears of a full-scale Russian invasion. Ukraine.

As one of Europe’s worst post-Cold War security crises has worsened in decades, oil prices have risen more than $ 1 on Thursday morning as Russiathe invasion of Ukraine began.

Brent crude rose nearly $ 4, or 3.93 percent, to $ 107.57 a barrel after rising to $ 98.08.

Western United States Texas Crude intermediate futures also jumped 85 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $ 92.95 a barrel after rising to $ 93.50.

Oil rose to more than $ 100 a barrel for the first time since 2014 on Thursday morning when Russia moved troops to Ukraine

Japan’s Nikkei index fell to its 15-month low on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine

A case wearing a face mask passes an electric screen showing a graph showing the average share of Japan’s Nikkei as shares fell after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Russia is the world’s second-largest oil producer, which mainly sells crude oil to European refineries, and is Europe’s largest supplier of natural gas, accounting for about 35% of supplies.

Over the night, US stocks fell, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 1.38% to just above the level that would confirm a correction. The MSCI global index, the world’s leading measure of stock markets, fell to its lowest level since April 2021.

In Asia on Thursday, the sale showed no signs of weight loss.

MSCI’s broadest index for Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan fell 1.6 percent in morning trading, with Australian stocks falling nearly 3 percent at one point. In Tokyo, the Nikkei was 1.1% lower. Chinese blue chips fell 0.6%.

S&P 500 futures looked 2% lower on Thursday morning

Passers-by wearing face masks walk past a stock exchange in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday

“Markets believe Russia will now do as it pleases, given how weak the sanctions have been and are pricing the invasion,” said Ray Atril, head of currency strategy at National Australia Bank.

“The real concern is that Europe has been cut off from Russian gas. The EU cannot cope with such a supply shock and will have to control demand, which would be economically exhausting, “he added. “Higher energy prices are also the place where rubber is on the road in terms of global economic growth, which must be bad for risk sentiment.”

The Russian ruble fell 0.1 percent against the dollar after falling more than 3 percent on Wednesday.

“Markets are already pricing more adequately at the risk of something terrible happening. This, combined with insecurity, is a terrible living environment. No one wants to be put at risk when it’s around, “said Rob Carnell, head of research at ING’s Asia-Pacific region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine and issued a chilling warning to his allies in the west early Thursday morning.

Airlines have been told to suspend flights over any part of Ukraine due to the risk of unintentional landings or cyberattacks aimed at controlling air traffic amid tensions with Russia, an observer at the conflict zone said.

The warning was followed by a notice to the pilots that the flights of civil aircraft in Ukrainian airspace were “restricted due to potential danger to civil aviation”.

In addition to tensions, hundreds of computers in Ukraine have been affected by data erasure software as part of what state officials said was a growing wave of hacks targeting the country as Russia amassed troops around its borders.

“After yesterday’s lull, when the Russia-Ukraine situation fell out of the headlines, its inevitable resumption overnight sparked a flight to safety again and raised oil due to fears of disruption of global energy supplies,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst. in OANDA.

“One factor that could act as a temporary price deterrent is Iran’s nuclear deal, with rumors that a new deal could be announced, probably as early as this week,” he added. “However, Ukraine fears, and their wider implications, will continue to support oil prices, which remain a solid purchase in downturns.”

An explosion was observed in the early hours of Thursday in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv

The United States and Iran have been involved in indirect nuclear talks in Vienna, in which the deal could lead to the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil sales and an increase in global supplies.

In addition, crude oil inventories in the United States rose 6 million barrels last week, while distillate inventories fell, according to market sources, citing data from the American Petroleum Institute late Tuesday.

Ahead of government data on Thursday, analysts forecast an increase in crude oil of 400,000 barrels and a reduction in fuel stocks.

Gasoline inventories increased by 427,000 barrels and distillate inventories decreased by 985,000 barrels, according to API data, according to sources who requested anonymity.