Russia began a large-scale attack on Ukraine at dawn on Thursday (24 February) with explosions reported in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Mariupol across the country.
European Union leaders immediately condemned the invasion, with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen calling on Russia to withdraw its forces and vowing further sanctions.
"In these dark hours, our thoughts are with Ukraine and the innocent women, men and children as they face this unprovoked ...
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Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.