Photos circulating on Twitter show the devastation caused by the Russian attack on Ukraine, which was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin early Thursday local time.
“Footage of destroyed Ukrainian radar stations near Mariupol,” journalist Ali Özkök tweeted, along with photos of the scene.
Other photos from the aftermath of the attack showed heaps of fiery rubble and a woman whose bloody head was wrapped in a bandage.
“Pictures from Russia attack on Ukraine; Civilians and innocent people are the victim of the war,” tweeted news anchor Fawad Aman.
“Photos from Kyiv this morning show the aftermath of Russian shelling after the Russian military began a large-scale attack on Ukraine,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty tweeted.
Reuters Pictures tweeted additional photos of the invasion, which show black smoke rising from recently-bombed Ukrainian buildings in what the outlet described as “the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two.”
Podcaster Benny Johnson tweeted a map showing showing the staggering number of locations targeted by “Russian attacks in Ukraine” early Thursday.
“Unreal,” Johnson commented.
President Joe Biden said in a statement late Wednesday EST that he spoke with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following Putin’s declaration of war and first attacks.
“President Zelenskyy reached out to me tonight and we just finished speaking. I condemned this unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces. I briefed him on the steps we are taking to rally international condemnation, including tonight at the UN Security Council,” Biden tweeted. “He asked me to call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin’s flagrant aggression, and to stand with the people of Ukraine.”
“Tomorrow, I will be meeting with the Leaders of the G7, and the United States and our Allies and partners will be imposing severe sanctions on Russia,” Biden continued. “We will continue to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.”
Also on Thursday, Zelenskyy said he would provide arms to “anyone who wants to defend the country.”
“We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country. Be ready to support Ukraine in the squares of our cities,” he tweeted.
In a second tweet, Zelenskyy reiterated his call for Ukrainians to take up arms against Russia.
“We will lift sanctions on all citizens of Ukraine who are ready to defend our country as part of territorial defense with weapons in hands,” he wrote.
