Russian military enters Odessa, crossing into Kharkiv: Reports

Amid the ongoing assault into Ukraine, Russian military troops have landed in the port city of Odessa (reports claimed an amphibious assault in the area) and are crossing the border into the significant province of Kharkiv—less than one hour away from Russian border—said Anton Herashchenko, advisor to Ukraine's interior ministry. He said there is shelling all over the country, from Donetsk to Zaporizhia, Luhansk, Odessa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv. 

Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to consequences you have never seen.

Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa as world leaders decried the start of an invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine's democratically elected government.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law, saying Russia has targeted Ukraine's military infrastructure. He urged Ukrainians to stay home and not to panic. President Joe Biden pledged new sanctions to punish Russia for the aggression that the international community had expected for weeks but could not prevent through diplomacy.

Putin justified it all in a televised address, asserting that the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine a false claim the US had predicted he would make as a pretext for an invasion. He accused the US and its allies of ignoring Russia's demands to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and for security guarantees. He also credulously claimed that Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine but will move to demilitarise it and bring those who committed crimes to justice.

Biden in a written statement condemned the unprovoked and unjustified attack, and he promised that the US and its allies would hold Russia accountable.

-Inputs from agencies