‘A thug’: PM Scott Morrison blasts Russian leader Vladimir Putin as thousands flee Ukraine
Thousands are fleeing Ukraine as Russian forces engage in a fierce battle. It came as Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed Russia must be held accountable.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared Russia must pay for the “unwarranted and unprovoked” invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Morrison blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin, labelling him a “thug”.
“Today, Australia will be imposing further sanctions on oligarchs whose economic weight is of strategic significance,” Mr Morrison said on Friday.
Sanctions will also be extended to those members of the Russian parliament who voted to authorise the use of troops in Ukraine.
Mr Morrison conceded Australia’s sanctions would not stop the acts of aggression.
“That was not our expectation. Russia has been planning these acts of violence for some considerable period of time,” the Prime Minister said.
“But there must be a cost. There must be a price. And it must be imposed by the global community.”
Asked what he thought of the Russian President, Mr Morrison responded: “I call him a thug.”
“We continue to be extremely concerned with the terrible violence we have seen inflicted on the people of Ukraine by Russia, unwarranted, unprovoked,” he said.
He added that Australia would work with US authorities to align sanctions against Belarusians who were complicit with the Russian invasion.
Additionally, work will begin with NATO to organise the delivery of nonlethal military equipment and medical supplies to Ukraine.
“We are a long way from Ukraine, and the most effective way is to be doing that to our NATO partners to ensure we can support that commitment,” Mr Morrison said.
“We are providing financial support as well as equipment through that NATO channel.”
Speaking to reporters in Adelaide, Mr Morrison also revealed his strong support for denying Russia access to the SWIFT global payments system.
“I think we should be taking every step we can to ensure Russia pays a price in the international community for the violent and aggressive acts of invasion against Ukraine,” he said.
The EU stands divided over whether to cut Russia off to the payment system that connects thousands of financial institutions around the world.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden said world leaders were at an impasse.
“It is always an option. But right now, that's not the position that the rest of Europe wishes to take,” he said.
But Mr Morrison pleaded with leaders to unilaterally support the move.
“This is all about ensuring (Russia) get cut off, and that is the price that is paid. But for that to occur, it has to occur with countries all around the world,” he said.
“I would implore other nations, particularly those who are involved with SWIFT, to join that call to deny Russia access to that payment system.”
‘SERIOUS THREATS’
Russian forces have captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, in what has been described as “one of the most serious threats“ in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Ukraine troops fought to the death in an all-out battle for control of Chernobyl, amid fears Russian artillery could destroy its giant concrete sarcophagus.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said fighters gave their lives to hold off invading troops in what he called a Russian “declaration of war on all of Europe”.
“Our soldiers are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 does not happen again,” Zelensky tweeted.
The reactor explosion more than 35 years ago killed at least 31 people in the immediate aftermath, and injured countless more, as radioactive dust covered eastern Europe.
Russian troops captured the power plant after extended fighting in the fiercest battle of the conflict so far, with more than 100,000 Ukraine citizens feeing their homes after the invasion.
“After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe. This is one of the most serious threats to Europe today,” said Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the chief of the presidential administration.
Satellite images in the days and weeks leading up to the Russian invasion showed new bridges built across the Pripyat river, near the Chernobyl nuclear exclusion zone.
The fierce battle broke out after Russian troops invaded from Belarus, reportedly disguised as Ukraine troops and police officers.
Fighting was at its height close to the concrete sarcophagus built around the damaged nuclear reactor to contain the fallout.
Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Interior Minister, said the Russian troops entered the exclusion zone from the Belarus side.
“If the occupiers’ artillery strikes destroy the nuclear waste storage facility, radioactive dust could cover the territories of Ukraine, Belarus and the EU,” he said.
Ukraine sent reinforcements to the area last month in anticipation that Putin would target
Chernobyl, which lies on a strategic route into Kyiv from Belarus.
Ukraine said at least 40 soldiers had died in more than 30 targeted strikes on civilian and military infrastructure and 203 attacks throughout the country.
A Ukraine military chief has said a Russian reconnaissance platoon surrendered near the city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine.
European Council leaders agreed to “massive and severe” sanctions on Russia.
“The European Council today agrees on further restrictive measures that will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia for its action, in close co-ordination with our partners and allies,” said the draft, which was seen by Reuters.
“The European Council calls for the swift preparation of a further sanctions package that will also cover Belarus,” it added.
British foreign secretary Liz Truss kicked the Russian ambassador out of the Foreign Office saying he should be “ashamed of himself”.
‘PUTIN IS THE AGGRESSOR’: BIDEN
US President Joe Biden announced “devastating” sanctions against Russia and committed sending more troops to eastern Europe to defend NATO allies.
The president made the announcement after a closed-door meeting with the other G7 countries: Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
Biden tweeted that the G7 leaders “agreed to move forward on devastating packages of sanctions and other economic measures to hold Russia to account”.
“We stand with the brave people of Ukraine. Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences,” Mr Biden said.
“This was never about a genuine security concern on their part, it was always about naked aggression, about Putin’s desire for empire by any means necessary,” Biden said.
The US president announced sanctions against Russian banks holding $US1 trillion, including cutting off its largest bank – which holds a third of the country’s assets – from the US financial system.
In a joint statement, the G7 industrial powers also said they were “ready to act” to minimise disruptions to world energy markets as a result of Moscow’s assault on Ukraine and with sanctions already targeting a major pipeline from heavyweight energy producer Russia
Before the G7 gathering, Biden first huddled with his National Security Council in the Situation Room, the White House said.
UKRAINE AIR DEFENCES WIPED OUT ‘WITHIN HOURS’
Helicopter gunships were seen swarming across the skyline as the Russian military claimed to have wiped out Ukraine’s entire air defences within hours.
At least seven choppers were filmed screaming past suburban rooftops in an attack formation flying toward the military base at Gostomel Airport, northwest of Ukraine’s capital.
Thick black smoke billowed from suburban houses in the background as the aircraft flew through Ukraine airspace soon after Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.
The craft are believed to be a mix of Ka-52 Alligators, Mi-8s and Mi-24 military attack helicopters.
Ukraine authorities claimed three helicopters were downed in “fierce fighting” at the airport, but that Russia had gained control of the area.
Elsewhere, fighter planes were seen flying low over Kyiv – while a Ukrainian An-26 transport plane was shot down, killing 5 people, The Sun reported.
At the port city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine, a Russian strike left a Ukrainian air defence base shouldering in smoke and debris.
The Russian military’s claims of completely destroying Ukraine’s air defences in a matter of hours have not been independently verified.
ALLIES FIGHT PUTIN AS WAR RETURNS TO EUROPE
Russian leader Vladimir Putin stands condemned by the world with blood on his hands after launching unprovoked strikes on cities across Ukraine.
And he could soon be joined by the Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, who not only pledged support for his actions but threatened to also join the attack on neighbour Ukraine.
At least 100 people are feared dead including civilians from targeted strikes by Russian armed forces from land, sea and air on military and other strategic sites in Ukraine including capital Kyiv.
Ukrainians have begun panic buying and or are fleeing capital cities for the western border as Russia intensified shelling overnight. Cars were bumper to bumper trying to flee.
There were unverified reports of Russian aircraft and troops killed in the melee as well as Ukraine civilians. The Ukraine government confirmed some of its soldiers had been killed as well as at least 50 Russian troops and or rebels supporting them.
The West is expected to retaliate and could decisively be cut from the international money markets as Russia continues to push into Ukraine.
China predictably refused to condemn the action and instead accused the US and allies for provoking it.
BELARUS TO DISCUSS MISSILE SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he will discuss deployment of Iskander and S-400 defence systems to Belarus with Vladimir Putin in the coming days.
“[Thursday or Friday] we will talk with the President of Russia about how to strengthen ourselves here in the western direction,” Lukashenko told state news agency Belta Thursday.
“Today we consulted with the military, and we see that it would be desirable to put Iskanders [missile systems] there and place a battalion or two with S-400s somewhere so that we can actually monitor the situation all the way to Berlin,” Lukashenko said.
“Now the most powerful deterrent would be equipment: Iskanders and S-400 Triumphs. We can manage without them, but it would be nice. Then they would hardly go here,” he added.
NATO ACTIVATES RESPONSE FORCE
NATO activated its Response Force, putting 100 warplanes and 120 allied ships on high alert. The NATO Response Force (NRF) can number up to 40,000 troops, with a rapid deployment brigade of 5,000 land troops already on high alert.
“NATO’s core task is to protect and defend all allies. There must be no room for miscalculation or misunderstanding,” Stoltenberg said.
Germany on Thursday said the EU, NATO and the G7 would work to hit Russia with severe sanctions after the Kremlin’s air and ground assault.
“We will launch the full package with the most massive sanctions against Russia and we will strengthen our security and our allies,” Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.
“We have not chosen this situation,” she added, but “if we don’t stand up to it now, we will pay an even higher price”.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson labelled Russia’s military action in Ukraine as a “catastrophe for our continent” and called for an urgent meeting of NATO leaders.
Ukraine declared a state of emergency and imposed martial law as the full scale invasion began early Thursday with multiple rocket attacks on airports, ports and military bases including on capital Kyiv.
Columns of tanks streamed across the Russian border into the east of the country but also Russian troops arrived at the strategically critical port cities of Odessa and Mariupol in the south and Kharkiv in the north.
In all more than 10 cities are under attack.
At the military air base on the outskirts of Kyiv, missiles rained down on Ukraine’s fledgling air force as well as military headquarters and warehouses.
On the Russian border a long train said to stretch hundreds of metres and carrying howitzers, rocket launching systems, fuel and troops was also on the move into Ukraine.
“In the name of humanity bring your troops back to Russia,” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres pleaded.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin in a televised address told the Ukraine armed forces to “lay down your arms” before his troops arrived and said any bloodshed would be on the hands of the Ukraine “regimen”.
Any attempts to stop them, he warned, would lead to “consequences”.
“I have a few words for those who could feel tempted to interfere with ongoing developments: whoever tries to impede us, let alone create threats for our country and its people must know that the Russian response will be immediate and lead to the consequences you have never seen in history,” he said.
“I have taken the decision to carry out a special military operation,” Mr Putin said. “Its goal will be to defend people who for eight years are suffering persecution and genocide by the Kyiv regime. For this we will aim for demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine, as well as taking to court those who carried out multiple bloody crimes against civilians, including citizens of the Russian Federation. Our plans do not include occupying Ukrainian territory.”
Within hours, explosions were reported in Ukraine capital Kyiv and key cities Kharkiv in the north and the southern port of Odessa. There were unconfirmed reports also coming in from other cities.
"Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says on Twitter after Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would undertake what he called a “special military operation†in Ukraine. https://t.co/b3Jn13GacHpic.twitter.com/WPsiPpKlOp
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) February 24, 2022
UNDER ATTACK
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said air strikes had hit “military infrastructure and border guards”.
Ukraine’s interior ministry has already declared “hundreds of casualties as a result of Russian missile attacks” around the country, according to CNN, with attacks coming from Crimea in the south, Russia in the east and Belarus in the north.
The border guard service said Ukrainian forces were returning fire.
“Attacks on border units, border detachments and checkpoints are carried out with the use of artillery, heavy equipment and small arms,” the border guards’ statement said.
“The work of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups is also recorded.” The statement was issued as a Ukrainian interior ministry official reported the fall of the previously government-held town of Shchastya, on the eastern frontline with a rebel-held enclave.
Air raid sirens rang out in the western city of Lviv, AFP reported, adding that there were no immediate sounds of explosions or other signs of attack.
The city has turned into the temporary base of several Western embassies, including the United States and Britain, which evacuated their diplomats from the capital Kyiv in the days preceding Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
MORRISON: ‘A BRUTAL INVASION’
Russia’s “brutal” invasion of the Ukraine has been condemned by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as he called reports of hundreds of casualties and missile strikes “not surprising”.
Mr Morrison said after “months of aggression and intimidation” from Russia, Australia was joining world leaders in condemning the “outrageous acts” unfolding in Ukraine.
“The Russian government launched a brutal invasion, unprovoked, on Ukraine, and should be condemned for doing so – and Australia does,” he said.
“The footage that is emerging of missile strikes, air-raid sirens, and reports of hundreds of casualties dash – yet to be unconfirmed – are, sadly, not surprising given the events we’ve been witnessing for some time now, and have been warning about.”
Mr Morrison said Australia was now progressing the second phase of financial sanctions, targeting an additional 25 Russian officials including individuals in the military, as well as further financial institutions.
“We must ensure there is a cost for this violent, unacceptable, and egregious behaviour,” he said. “There must be a cost.”
Mr Morrison said Australia would also move against the more than 300 members of the Russian parliament with further sanctions.
Mr Morrison said Russia has “chosen war” and called on the government to withdraw from Ukraine.
“We denounce what are unilateral hostile actions in Ukraine,” he said.
“Russia is flagrantly breaching international law, and the UN Charter.”
Mr Morrison said Ukrainians were “suffering a terrible ordeal at the hands of a terrible aggressor”.
“Right now, our thoughts are very much with those in Ukraine – those who are enduring a terrible invasion as the bombs fall and the shelling continues and the bullets are fired, as special forces from Russia are moving towards Kyiv and tanks are rolling in all around their borders,” he said.
“This is a chilling reminder of the world that we live in and where the threats and aggression of bullies and those who seek to intimidate others to seek their own advantage.”
Mr Morrison said there was “still no evidence” of any Russian state-sanctioned cyberattacks on Australian assets, but thanked the corporate sector for their preparations in the event they were targeted.
He also said Australia “stands ready” to support international action responding to any price or supply shocks in energy markets.
His comments come as Australia dusted off a 22-year-old plan that successfully relocated victims of the Kosovo conflict to now use for rescuing Ukrainians that may be caught in the crossfire of a full blown conflict.
From May to June 1999 the Federal Government ran the then unprecedented Operation Safe Haven for 3920 ethnic Albanians evacuated from the conflict zone and relocated across all States in Australia.
It is understood DFAT and its diplomats in Ukraine and Poland have already been prepped for hundreds of visa applications from Ukrainians, largely with Australian connections, seeking temporary refuge in Australia.
Already visa applications have begun trickling in and department officers have been told Ukrainian requests be given “priority”, under temporary humanitarian refugee relief provisions.
The visa offers three months initially with a possible extension.
BIDEN, UN CALL FOR CALM
US President Joe Biden condemned Russia for an “unprovoked and unjustified” attack and said he would meet with G7 leaders today (Thurs) to discuss a course of action.
Hours earlier, Russia closed its embassy in Ukraine capital Kyiv and its consulate to the south in Odessa as it ordered its citizens out of the country in a move interpreted as being ahead of something bigger.
The Kremlin then revealed it had received letters from administrative chiefs in Luhansk and Donetsk in Ukraine’s east purportedly pleading for help to stop Ukraine forces killing all Russian speakers.
That left Russian President to confirm he had authorised military operations in the Donbas region of Ukraine to stop the alleged killing and further expansion of NATO forces into the Ukraine regions he said he had now declared independent republics.
“Lay down your arms,” he said to Ukraine forces, as he vowed “retaliation” to anyone who didn’t.
The United Nations immediately condemned the move and said there was no alleged killings of Russian speakers, it was a false premise to justify invasion.
“President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine, give peace a chance, too many people have already died,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a personal plea.
President Zelensky confirmed the Kremlin now had an incredible force of 200,000 troops on the border as he pleaded with his Russian counterpart whom he tried to telephone.
“No answer, only silence,” he said when asked what that result was.
The number of troops Russia has deployed is only a fraction of its forces but is about the same as Ukraine’s entire military force although tens of thousands of reservists aged 18 to 60 were actively being called up yesterday.
Speaking Russian, Mr Zelensky said that the people of Russia were being lied to about Ukraine and that the possibility of war “depends on you”.
“Who can stop this? People. These people are among you, I am sure,” he said.
The message will largely fall on deaf ears as Russian state media on multiple channel and platforms are declaring Mr Putin something of a saviour to a potential massacre of their people.
The Russian president has seemingly ignored the international pleas and a barrage of sanctions against his inner circle and state institutions from the US, EU and as far away as Australia and Japan. It is now back to nations in the West to decide on another course, likely to be more sanctions.
After weeks on calling for its citizens to remain calm, the Ukrainian government introduced a state of emergency declaration for an initial 30 days to restrict movements and deploy troops to critical infrastructure.
The Ukraine parliament also moved toward laws to allow citizens to carry arms for self defence. “Predicting what might be the next step of Russia, the separatists or the personal decisions of the Russian president – I cannot say,” Mr Zelensky said. Ukrainians were also told to leave Russia immediately and come home as their safety could no longer be guaranteed.
The first hint Russia was again shifting came earlier in the day with another barrage of cyber attacks on Ukraine banks, government departments and critical infrastructure believed to have come from Russian hackers. The data-wiping capability of the malware had some success; the disruption tactic is seen as a standard play ahead of military action and designed to sow confusion and panic.
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