⚡️ Russian MoD: Ukrainian air defences are neutralised

Russian special military operation. The key points:

▪️ In a video message, President Putin announced the start of the operation, addressed the Ukrainian military, Russians, and "those who may be tempted to intervene in ongoing events";

▪️ The Russian Ministry of Defence told RIA Novosti that military infrastructure, air defence facilities, military airfields, and aviation of the Ukrainian military have been disabled by high-precision means - but Russian forces are not launching missile, air, or artillery strikes on Ukrainian cities, and not threatening the civilian population;

▪️ The people's militia of the LPR announced that it has begun artillery preparations and an operation to liberate temporarily occupied territories;

▪️ President Zelensky introduced martial law in Ukraine

▪️ Ukraine closed the nation's airspace to civilian aircraft, Russia closed the sky to civilian aircraft near the borders of Ukraine; flights to Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Anapa, Gelendzhik, Elista, Stavropol, Belgorod, Bryansk, Orel, Kursk, Voronezh, and Simferopol have been halted until 3:45 a.m. on March 2nd;

▪️ Lessons have been cancelled in schools in the Belgorod and Bryansk regions and Crimea near the Ukrainian border, kindergartens have been closed, in the Kursk region they are being transferred to distance learning.

⚡️ Russian MoD: Precision weapons neutralise only Ukrainian military infrastructure, air forces

⚡️ Lukashenko says Ukraine's military leadership was warned about possible special operation by Russia, but did not take any steps - Belta

📸 LPR artillery unleashes a flurry of attacks

🚨 Cannonade is heard in the centre of Lugansk

⚡️ President Lukashenko said that Kiev is losing and should make concessions to Moscow

❗️ Adviser to the head of the LPR Miroshnik: Ukraine is using "grads" to shell Lohvynove, the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination on ceasefire and stabilisation of the demarcation line has recorded 80 arrivals of "grad" missiles

⚡️ UK PM Johnson will address the nation today - ITV reporter

‼️ Kiev used rocket artillery for first time since February 2015 as it shelled LPR, Republic says

⚡️ President Lukashenko on Russia's special operation in Ukraine: There are no Belarusian troops there, but if there is a need for Minsk and Moscow, they will be

❗️ Ukrainian armed forces continue shelling of peaceful cities in Donbass, there are casualties among the civilian population of the DPR and LPR - Russian MoD

⚡️ Ukraine cuts diplomatic ties with Russia

⚡️ Russian MoD: The people's militia of the DPR and LPR have launched a counteroffensive with fire support from the Russian armed forces

❗️ Russian MoD: Ukraine's intelligence preparing, already implementing provocations according to well-known templates of ‘White Helmets'

⚡️ EU may discuss personal sanctions against Vladimir Putin, reports say

❗️ Film crew of RT Arabic came under fire from the Ukrainian armed forces in Yelenovka - RT

⚡️ Moscow: Ukraine uses provocations to accuse Russia of 'disproportionate strikes' to scare civilians

⚡️ DPR and LPR forces launch counterattack against Ukrainian military in Donbass

❗️ UK PM Johnson calls for an immediate meeting of NATO leaders

⚡️ White House says it will offer price preferences, raise domestic content threshold for critical products under ‘Buy American' Act