2 Loud Explosions Have Been Heard In Kyiv
Russian officials said that the first day of the invasion of Ukraine achieved all its main goals and that 83 targets land-based in Ukraine had been destroyed. 203 attacks have been carried out by Russia against its western neighbour since the day began, according to official reports.
After Moscow mounted an air, land and sea assault against Ukraine on Thursday in one of the biggest attacks on a European country since the Second World War, Ukrainians retaliated on three sides.
While NATO, EU and G7 leaders condemned the invasion and pledged to hold Moscow accountable for the attack, the warnings of unprecedented sanctions from the Western part of the country got a wave of shocking attacks in response.
The following are the latest live updates on the Russia-Ukraine crisis:
Thousands of protesters gathered on public streets and outside Russian embassies from Tokyo to Tel Aviv and New York on Thursday to oppose the invasion of Ukraine – meanwhile in Russia over a thousand people were arrested for trying the same.
A missile attack from Russia repelled the “two deadly gifts” Ukraine claims
- In the city of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, two loud blasts were heard early Friday morning.
- During the early hours of Friday, Ukrainian forces downed an enemy aircraft over Kyiv, which subsequently crashed into a house and caught fire. The Ukrainian defence ministry reported that Russia fired on civilian areas of Kyiv but that Ukraine’s air defence systems repelled those “two deadly gifts”.
- As President Vladimir Putin launched an all-out ground invasion and air assault on Ukraine on Thursday, missiles and shells started raining down on Ukrainian cities.
- Using helicopters and jets, Russian paratroopers captured the airfield on the outskirts of Kyiv, northwestern Ukraine, after swooping into the part of Belarus.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that Russian “sabotage groups” had entered Kyiv and in addition to it, citizens are forced to maintain their vigilance.
There have been loud explosions in central Kyiv: a report
Several loud blasts could be heard in central Kyiv early Friday, an AFP journalist declared that the Russian troops pressed closer to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, before an invasion of the country’s western-backed neighbour.
Ukrainian soldiers claim that Russia fired on civilian areas of Kyiv, but that the country’s air defence systems repelled the “two deadly gifts”, according to a post on its verified social media page.
The Ukrainians shoot down a Russian aircraft
Ukrainian forces downed an enemy aircraft over Kyiv early Friday, causing it to crash into a house and set it ablaze. Afterwards, the building was destroyed by fire, according to Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister.
As a result of an army operation by Russia in Ukraine, Joe Biden said that the United States and India would consult on the crisis in the country Thursday.
Ukraine’s capital has been rocked by loud explosions
Two loud explosions were heard in the middle of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital city, early Friday morning, according to an AFP report.
Anton Herashchenko, the Ukrainian interior ministry advisor, said on Telegram that cruise and ballistic missile attacks against Kyiv have just continued. I heard two powerful explosions.
Chernobyl is the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident and the main reason for the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russian and Ukrainian forces fought for control over the radioactive site on Thursday.
In response to Russian attacks, Ukraine calls upon the Hacker Underground: Report
The Ukrainian government is looking for volunteers from the country’s hacker underground to help protect critical infrastructure and conduct cyber spying missions against Russian troops, according to two individuals involved in the project.
The Russian military has been attacking cities throughout Ukraine, causing many residents to flee the capital as Russian forces pursue them. As of Thursday morning, hackers forums were seeking volunteers.
The post read: “Ukrainian cybercommunity! It’s time to get involved in the cyber defence of our country,” and invited hackers and cybersecurity experts to apply to the program via Google Docs, mentioning their specialities (such as malware development) and professional references.
According to two people involved in the endeavour, the Ukrainian government is inviting volunteers from the underground hacker community to help protect critical infrastructure and conduct cyber-spying missions against Russian troops.
Russia has been attacking cities across Ukraine, prompting many residents to flee the capital Kyiv as Russian forces pursue them. Hacker forums began requesting volunteers on Thursday morning.
The post read: “Ukrainian cybercommunity! It’s time to get involved in the cyber defence of our country,” and invited hackers and cybersecurity experts to apply to the program via Google Docs, mentioning their specialities (such as malware development) and professional references.
Yegor Aushev, the co-founder of a cybersecurity company in Kyiv, told Reuters that a Defense Ministry official contacted him on Thursday asking him to contribute to the post. In addition to working with Ukraine’s government on critical infrastructure defence, Aushev’s firm Cyber Unit Technologies also offers consulting services on cloud computing.
It was confirmed by another person directly involved in the effort that the Defense Ministry issued the request on Thursday morning.
Neither the U.S. Defense Ministry nor representatives of the U.K. Defense Ministry responded to requests for comments. The defence attache of Ukraine’s embassy in Washington said he “cannot confirm or deny any claims sent through Telegram channels,” referring to the mobile messaging platform. He declined to comment further.
In his statement, Aushev said that the volunteers would be divided into defensive and offensive cyber units. Defending infrastructure, such as power plants and water systems, would be the role of the defensive unit. Two hundred and twenty-five thousand Ukrainians lost electricity after a 2016 cyberattack, widely attributed to state hackers in Russia.
Organizing an offensive volunteer unit, Aushev said he is going to do, will help Ukrainian forces conduct digital espionage operations against Russian forces that are invading.
In his words, Aushev said, “Our country has an army.” Defending the country requires knowledge of the army’s activities.
According to researchers with the cybersecurity firm ESET, a new piece of destructive software has been discovered circulating in Ukraine that has targeted hundreds of computers. In this case, Russia was suspected. The country has repeatedly been accused of hacking against Ukraine and other countries. In a previously reported article, Reuters stated that government agencies and the financial institution had been affected.
There has been no response from Russia regarding the allegations.
As Aushev acknowledged, the effort to build a cyber military force has come late to the game.
According to the Washington Post, an official from Ukraine’s security service admitted that the country had no dedicated military cyber force. I believe it is our job to create them this year, the Washington Post quoted him as saying.
During his phone interview in Ukraine on Thursday night, Aushev said he had received hundreds of applications and would begin vetting them to make sure none of them was an agent of Russia.
On Thursday, Russia opened its invasion by land, air, and sea following an announcement for war by President Vladimir Putin. The bombings and gunfire rocked major cities, causing approximately 100,000 people to flee. Russia attempts to seize Kyiv and topple the government, according to Ukrainian and US officials.
China’s Embassy in Ukraine provides chartered flights for Chinese citizens in need of departure.
Russian officials said that the first day of the invasion of Ukraine achieved all its main goals and that 83 targets land-based in Ukraine had been destroyed. 203 attacks have been carried out by Russia against its western neighbour since the day began, according to the official reports.
Ukraine’s army fought against Russian invaders on three fronts this Thursday following the biggest attack on a European country from the second world war, with Russia attacking by land, sea and air.
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
