Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a “military operation" in Ukraine's Donbas region.
"Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the US and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way," said US President Joe Biden.
According to reports, Russia targeted 12 places in Ukraine. Following this, explosions were reported in several areas of Ukraine and air sirens went off in Kyiv. An explosion has been reported at the airport in Mariupol, the second-largest city in the Donetsk region in Eastern Ukraine.
Here are some horrifying pictures and videos circulating all over the internet:
In 2014 soon after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula, the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk proclaimed their independence.
Peace agreements were signed during 2014-15, but the conflict remained which led to hundreds of thousands of people leaving the regions.
An estimated 14,000 people have died since 2014.