News
All the latest as Russia launches ‘full-scale’ invasion of Ukraine
Boris Johnson has condemned the invasion as a ‘path of bloodshed and destruction’
Russia has launched a ‘full-scale’ invasion of Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin ordered a ‘specialised military operation’ in the Donbas region late last night.
Explosions and air raid sirens were heard across the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and other major cities following the announcement of the operation, with Putin saying in a televised address that the responsibility for bloodshed lies with the Ukrainian ‘regime’.
Putin also said his goal is to ‘demilitarise’ Ukraine rather than occupy, and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to ‘consequences they have never seen’.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned Putin’s ‘path of bloodshed and destruction’, and said in a statement that he had spoken to the Ukrainian president about the ‘next steps’.
His statement on Twitter read: “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.”
But what exactly does this invasion mean for the UK? And will it really lead to a so-called ‘World War 3’? Here’s everything you need to know.
Why has Russia invaded Ukraine?
While the whole situation is massively complex, the invasion boils down to President Putin wanting to assert his power over Ukraine.
Putin wants the neighbouring country to be under the same control as they were both part of the Soviet Union in the 20th Century.
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, where rebels backed by President Putin seized big swathes of the east. They have fought Ukraine’s army ever since.
Russia has also resisted Ukraine’s attempts to move towards both Nato and the EU, with Putin once calling Ukraine ‘a puppet of the West’ and saying it was ‘never a proper state’, according to The BBC.
How has the UK responded to the Ukrainian invasion?
Boris Johnson has made it clear that UK will not be sending troops to Ukraine if Russia launches a full-scale invasion – partly because Ukraine is not part of Nato – but will aid the European ally in different ways.
Throughout the last few weeks as Russian forces amassed the border, the UK responded by sending Ukraine ‘self-defence’ weapons.
These included anti-tank missiles that uses infrared guidance to hit tanks from the top and can be used against buildings and helicopters, and Next Generation Light Anti-tank Weapons (NLAW), which is launched on the shoulder and can be fired from confined spaces.
The UK is also providing intelligence to Ukraine, as are other Nato members.
Prior to this, Johnson attempted to engage Russia in ‘meaningful talks’ prior to the invasion, because ‘it’s far better to begin a discussion now than to have a catastrophe’.
When that failed, however, the government sanctioned five Russian banks and three ‘hit net wealth’ individuals. The Prime Minister is expected to announce more sanctions today.
The UK has sent a few military personnel to the nearby area, including around 350 Royal Marines from 45 Commando to Poland.
According to Sky News, the UK are also helping Ukraine manage Russian cyber attacks, which could lead to many Ukrainian deaths if key infrastructure is taken over by Moscow.
Why is the UK getting involved?
While the UK is on the other side of Europe to Ukraine and is no longer part of the EU, it is still an integral member of Nato which has a strong partnership with Ukraine, even though the country isn’t an official member.
The West has made it very clear that, in line with Nato values, it will back Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty.
Boris Johnson is hosting an emergency COBRA meeting today about the offensive from Putin, and will be announcing further sanctions on Russia.