Deadly Missile Attacks Wreak Havoc Across Ukraine After Putin Declared War On The Country [Photos]

On Wednesday night, Feb. 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine, ending weeks of diplomatic deadlock and plunging Eastern Europe into anarchy not seen since World War II’s deadliest days.

Under the cover of self-defense, Putin claimed Russia was conducting a “special military operation” to demilitarize and “denazify” the country.

In a live televised statement that aired before 6 a.m. local time, he launched the operation and threatened countries that interfere with “consequences” they have never seen.

Explosions were recorded in Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv, Kramatorsk, Kharkiv, Odessa, and Mariupol shortly after the address.

On Thursday, February 24, Russian tanks crossed the border from Belarus into Sen’kivka, Ukraine.

Because the territory is designated an active conflict zone, commercial aircraft are no longer permitted to fly within Ukrainian airspace.

Early Thursday, highways were clogged with automobiles as Ukrainian civilians desperately tried to leave to safety.

Images from Ukraine show people wounded and bloodied as a result of the bombings.

In one heartbreaking photo taken today, Feb. 24, a man is seen crying near a body as an airstrike damages an apartment complex outside of Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Another shows a woman wounded following airstrikes in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Her head is bandaged and dried blood is seen covering most of her face in the heartbreaking photo.