Ukraine under attack: Russia launches military operation

Air raid sirens have been heard on the streets of Kyiv after Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine.

Explosions were also heard in the Ukrainian capital, with reports of attacks by Russian troops on the border between Belarus and Ukraine.

Speaking in a televised address, President Vladimir Putin said he had authorised a “special military operation”.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Putin had chosen a “path of bloodshed and destruction”.

The prime minister will host a Cobra meeting later, with the expectation of further sanctions. President Joe Biden said the world would “hold Russia accountable” for its actions.

Meanwhile, MSPs will later offer solidarity with Ukraine following a motion submitted by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon which “offers unqualified support for Ukrainian sovereignty, democracy and independence”.

Ukrainians have begun queuing at banks and petrol stations as the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, called on the world to build an “anti-Putin coalition”.

The UK Government is expected to announce further sanctions on Russia later amid criticism of those outlined earlier this week, which put restrictions on three Russians living in the UK and a number of Russian banks.

Speaking on the Today programme, Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, chair of the foreign affairs committee, condemned Russia's “vile act of war” and said the sanctions outlined so far did not go far enough.

“Weak sanctions like the ones we introduced on Monday just encourage others to believe we are weak because we’re clearly not willing to do anything serious,” he said. 

“What that did on Monday was not deter, it encouraged because it made clear we weren’t willing to do anything serious. If we are going to do sanctions, we need to do them extremely hard and extremely early.”