Over 18 Killed Near Ukraine’s Odessa, President Zelensky Says Russia Acting Like ‘Nazi Germany’ | Top Developments

After days of denying claims to attack Ukraine, the Russian forces on Thursday morning fired missiles at several cities in the country.

Kyiv: Nearly 18 people died in an airstrike on a military base near Ukraine’s Black Sea port city of Odessa, the local administration said. “Eighteen died — eight men and 10 women. At the moment, we are still digging through the rubble,” the Odessa regional administration said in a statement.

After days of denying claims to attack Ukraine, the Russian forces on Thursday morning fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast. Russia also launched a barrage of missile, artillery and air attacks, while Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said that the capital, Kyiv, was being targeted by Russia. He urged the citizens to go to shelters.

On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky compared Russia’s invasion of his country to military campaigns carried out by Nazi Germany during World War II.

“Russia has attacked Ukraine in a cowardly and suicidal way, like Nazi Germany did during World War II,” the Ukrainian president said in an online briefing. However, he called on Ukrainians to “go out” and “protest against this war”.

The early morning attack against Ukrainian forces by Russian was “villainous” and similar to how the Nazi Germany attacked Soviet Union during World War II, Zelensky said. Russia is walking “the path of evil,” he added.

On Thursday morning, the Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine as President Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions, warning other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to consequences you have never seen.

Soon after his announcement, big explosions were heard in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of the Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government.

US President Joe Biden pledged new sanctions meant to punish Russia for an act of aggression that the international community had for weeks anticipated but could not prevent through diplomacy.

However, Putin justified it all in a televised address, asserting the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine – a false claim the US had predicted he would make as a pretext for an invasion.

He accused the US and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demand to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and offer Moscow security guarantees, and credulously claimed that Russia doesn’t intend to occupy Ukraine but will move to demilitarise it and bring those who committed crimes to justice.