Kiev: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a military operation in Ukraine, claiming it was aimed at protecting civilians. Putin said in a televised address that the action was being taken in response to threats posed by Ukraine.

He said that Russia’s goal is not to occupy Ukraine. Putin said Ukraine’s “regime” was responsible for the bloodshed. Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with Russian action “will have consequences they have never seen before”.

Meanwhile, Western countries announced a series of sanctions against Russia and Moscow evacuated its embassy premises in Ukraine and evacuated diplomatic personnel. Ukraine’s lawmakers approved President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s order to impose a nationwide state of emergency, which will be in force for 30 days starting Thursday.

On the other hand, the United Nations Security Council is going on an emergency session on Ukraine. This will be the second time this week that the UN Security Council is meeting to discuss Ukraine.