Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

Here's what you need to know about the Ukraine crisis first thing this morning, as Russia continues a major military assault.

• Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday in the biggest attack by one state on another in Europe since WWII.
• Ukraine reported columns of troops pouring across its borders from Russia and Belarus and landing on the coast from the Black and Azov seas, and missiles rained down.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin said his aim was to demilitarise and "denazify" Ukraine.
• NATO put warplanes on alert. It will reinforce troops on its eastern flank but has no plans to deploy any in Ukraine, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged citizens prepared to defend the country to come forward.
• US President Joe Biden met his Group of Seven counterparts online to map out more severe measures against Russia.
• Biden will speak on Ukraine at 12:30pm Eastern Time (US).
• European Union leaders will agree a second package of sanctions on Russia on Thursday evening, a senior official said.
• Russia would respond to sanctions with "tit-for-tat" measures, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.
• Other European countries started preparations to receive people fleeing Ukraine.
• A mood of defiance gripped Kyiv even though the city echoed to the sound of gunfire, sirens and explosions. The mayor said he would impose a curfew.
• Stock markets tumbled. Russia's rouble hit an all-time low.
• The global finance sector was struggling to respond to the invasion, with share prices suffering heavy falls.
• Major buyers of Russian oil were struggling with bank guarantees, according to sources.

Quotes

• "I have decided to conduct a special military operation... to protect people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide," Putin said. "We will strive for the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine."
• "Russia has embarked on a path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself & won't give up its freedom," Zelensky said.
• "Russia is using force to try to rewrite history... We have no plans to send NATO troops in Ukraine. What we do is defensive," said Stoltenberg.
• "President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering," Joe Biden said.

Coming events

• Biden also convened his National Security Council.
• EU leaders were discussing further sanctions.
• NATO will hold an emergency summit on Friday.
• The UN Security Council will discuss a resolution condemning the invasion.

- Reuters