Ukrainian President calls on civilians to take up arms against Russian invaders

The world awoke to the largest conflict in Europe since the Second World War after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine on Thursday morning – targeting key cities in an alleged bid to ‘demilitarize’ Moscow’s western neighbor.

“We have taken the decision to conduct a special military operation,” the Russian president said from behind his desk at the Kremlin.

"Its goal is to protect people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide... for the last eight years. And for this we will strive for the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.”

Just moments after Putin’s announcement, Ukrainians reported hearing explosions around major cities and officials from Ukraine’s interior ministry said Russian cruise and ballistic missiles were targeting infrastructure in cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Dnipro, The Guardian reported.

Ukraine, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, is officially at war.

“Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes. This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now,” the minister tweeted on Thursday morning.

Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes. This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 24, 2022

Putin also called on the Ukrainian armed forces to put down their weapons and capitulate, promising that soldiers that do so will have safe passage out of the conflict zone.

“I urge you to immediately lay down your weapons and go home. All servicemen of the Ukrainian army who fulfil this demand will be able to freely leave the combat zone and return to their families," he said.

His demands fell on deaf ears, however, and the Ukrainian military has fought to hold its ground, even shooting down several Russian aircraft, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said on social media, according to Newsweek.

"Ukraine's defense forces are holding back the Russian aggressor's offensive," he wrote, adding that at least six Russian planes, two helicopters and dozens of armored vehicles have so far been destroyed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also took to social media to call on civilians to take up arms against the Russian invaders, writing, “We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country. Be ready to support Ukraine in the squares of our cities.”

We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country. Be ready to support Ukraine in the squares of our cities.

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 24, 2022