Russia launched a full-scale ATTACK on Ukraine last night. We sort of knew this was coming after the moves they've been making the past few weeks, and it's a big deal. Here's what you need to know . . .
1. Last night, Vladimir Putin gave a televised speech announcing a, quote, "special military operation" in Ukraine, and warned the world not to intervene. According to U.S. officials, Russia then launched a full-scale, "unprovoked" attack on multiple fronts across Ukraine, from Russia and from Belarus.
2. President Biden put out a statement, vowing to "hold Russia accountable," and said he's imposing even stricter sanctions. Officials from the U.S. and NATO planned to meet today to coordinate a deeper response.
3. Russia claimed it was only targeting Ukrainian Air Force bases and other military assets, not civilians. Meanwhile, Putin says they just want to "demilitarize," not occupy the country. So, we'll see how that plays out over the coming days.
4. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law, but told people not to worry, and that the U.S. was already mounting "international support" to help.
5. Stock futures and crypto markets plunged when news of the attack hit. There's obviously a whole lot of uncertainty right now, so stay tuned.
(Here are feeds from the AP, CNN, and Fox News with the latest.)