Iran Press/ Europe: In a list of requests sent to the E.U. leaders ahead of an emergency summit on Thursday night in Brussels, Ukraine also calls for the "fiercest restriction measures against Belarus, which Kyiv says Minsk directly supported the full-scale Russian invasion, a claim rejected by Belarus defense Ministry.
U.S. moving fighter jets to Baltic Sea, Black Sea regions
The U.S. moves six fighter jets to the Baltic provinces and the Black Sea to support NATO's defense capabilities.
ON THURSDAY, six F-35 Lightning II aircraft assigned to the 34th Fighter Squadron operating from Spangdahlem Airbase in Germany were deployed to the region to support NATO's air policing mission. The Air Force said in a statement.
U.S. defense Ministry also repositioned 800 troops stationed in Italy to the Baltics. Aside from the F-35 fighter jets, 20 AH-64 helicopters are being moved from Germany to the Baltic region, and 12 AH-64 helicopters are moving from Greece to Poland.
U.K. largest, the most severe package of economic sanctions on Russia
The U.K. will impose the "largest and most severe" package of economic sanctions Russia "has ever seen," Boris Johnson says.
All major Russian banks will be excluded from the U.K. financial system, and a full asset freeze is being imposed on VBT, Russia's second-largest bank.
Airline Aeroflot will be banned from the U.K.
G7 to hit Russia with severe sanctions
The Group of Seven industrialized nations has promised to hit Moscow with severe and coordinated economic sanctions.
The G7 is comprised of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Russia: First day of Ukraine invasion 'successful'
A spokesman for Russia's defense ministry says its military has achieved the goals it set out for the first day of its invasion of Ukraine.
"All of the tasks assigned to the groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for the day were successfully completed," Igor Konashenkov said.
Battle for Chernobyl rages
Ukrainian forces are battling Russian troops to capture the former nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, in northern Ukraine, Zelenskyy says.
Elsewhere, the regional administration in charge of Ukraine's southern Kherson region said some parts of the territory had been lost to Russian forces.
No choice but to order 'operation' against Ukraine: Putin
Putin said he had no other option but to order a "special operation" against Ukraine, arguing that all of Moscow's previous attempts to address its security concerns had come to nothing.
The Russian president made his remarks while addressing the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
Moscow had called for the US-led NATO military alliance to guarantee that Ukraine would never become a member and cease all military activity in Eastern Europe before launching an attack on its neighbor. Washington and NATO flatly rejected those demands.
74 Ukrainian military, 11 air bases, destroyed
The Russian military has destroyed 74 Ukrainian military facilities, including 11 airbases, an A.P. report said quoting Russia's Defense Ministry on Thursday. The ministry also confirmed the loss of a Su-25 attack jet due to "pilor error."
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered that Ukrainian servicemen be treated "with respect," and those who lay down their weapons offered safe corridors.
Meanwhile, as many as 40 Ukrainian soldiers and around ten civilians have been killed by Russian shelling, a Reuters report quoting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's adviser said on Thursday.
The AFP reported that Ukraine said it killed 'around 50 Russian occupiers' without providing details.
Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces: Ukrainian official
Russian troops have captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Thursday.
"It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians," he said.
"This is one of the most serious threats in Europe today," Podolyak said.
Ukrainian military plane shot down, five killed
A Ukrainian military plane was shot down on Thursday, and five people were killed, Ukrainian police and the state emergency service said, as its armed forces sought to defend against a massive Russian military operation.
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