Russian President Vladimir Putin started his long-anticipated invasion of Ukraine, triggering one of the worst security crises in Europe since World War II, after threats of economic sanctions from the U.S. and its allies failed to deter him.
The Russian leader, in a televised speech coinciding with the start of the operation around dawn, vowed to “demilitarize” the neighboring country of more than 40 million people, denigrated the Ukrainian leadership and said the assault was targeted at people he said have taken Ukraine “hostage.”
