Russian invasion of Ukraine – West imposes tough sanctions on Vladimir Putin, thousands of protesters get arrested

After months of threats to invade Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered a military operation in the country.

Two days ago, Putin signed a decree recognizing the two separatist regions as states, and 48 hours after this action, which was strongly condemned by the West, an order was given for the “military occupation” of Ukraine.

The West condemned the Russian president for this action and imposed harsh sanctions on him, warning him of even more punishments.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said he has agreed with other G7 leaders “to move forward on destructive packages of sanctions and other economic measures to hold Russia accountable.”

European Union leaders have considered what some call the “nuclear option” of removing Russia from SWIFT, a high-security network that connects thousands of financial institutions around the world.

FULL STAMENT: The G7 communiqué on Ukraine-Russia (note at the end comments about oil and gas markets) | #UkraineWar #Ukraine #OOTT pic.twitter.com/yzruXbe1EO

— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) February 24, 2022

“We stand with our partners, including NATO, the EU and their member states, as well as Ukraine, and remain committed to doing what is necessary to maintain the integrity of the rule-based international order.” , says the G7 statement.

Russian citizens are continuing to oppose the action of their President Vladimir Putin to militarily attack Ukraine.

The footage clearly shows Russian frustration with the Putin regime.

Pushkin Square, maybe less than 1000 meters from Red Square and the Kremlin, is the cite of a significant protest. These people know the risks of challenging the regime. They’re on the street in-spite of major personal costs. pic.twitter.com/bYEfbO91xG

— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) February 24, 2022

According to the independent monitoring group OVID-info, at least 1,500 people have been arrested in several Russian cities.

International media report casualties in the ranks of the Ukrainian army and civilians.

Otherwise, the Ukrainian Armed Forces say they shot down 7 planes, 4 helicopters and killed over 100 Russian separatists. / The Geopost /