At around 5 a.m. local time on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Large explosions were heard in Kiev, Kharkiv, Odessa and other Ukrainian cities.
Ukrainian authorities report that many people have already been killed, including: More than 40 victims, six people in Brovary, near Kiev, a boy who was killed when an apartment building was shelled in Kiev, 18 people were caught in an attack with missiles in Odessa as well as border guards. Ukraine’s national police service has said a total of 203 attacks have been carried out by Russian forces since the beginning of the day, with fighting taking place almost across the territory.
- Biden provides $ 350 million in military aid to Ukraine
Reuters reports that President Joe Biden has instructed the US State Department to release $ 350 million in military aid to Ukraine as it tries to repel Russian occupation.
In a memorandum to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Biden ordered $ 350 million to be allocated through Ukraine’s Foreign Assistance Act.
- Well-known names in Russia join anti-war protests in Ukraine; about 1800 people are arrested
Well-known names in Russia have been shaken by the invasion of Ukraine and have come out publicly against the war, despite the professional and personal risks that come with disagreeing on such a sensitive issue in Russia.
More than 1,800 people were arrested at rallies across the country as well-known names from the worlds of entertainment, business and journalism risked their lives to raise their voices on a shocking issue like the attack on Ukraine.
- Russian state media ads are banned by Facebook.
Meta Platforms, Facebook’s parent company, is banning Russian state media from displaying ads or making money on its platform anywhere in the world.
- Not only economic sanctions, but also the world of sports is uniting against Russia, after the attacks that the latter has undertaken against Ukraine. The first to come out against Russia was UEFA removing the Champions League final by moving it to Paris.
With the same “motivation”, Formula 1 removes the grand prize of Sochi from the map. This decision has been officially confirmed by the FIA.
- After the invasions in Ukraine, Russia was excluded from Eurovision 2022. The European Broadcasting Union, a little earlier, announced that no Russian singer will participate in Eurovision 2022.
The EBU Executive Board made this decision following a request made by the director of the Eurovision Song Contest, the Reference Group, based on the rules of the event and the values of the EBU.
