On Thursday February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the offensive against Ukraine, and shook the entire European continent. A year later, RFI is devoting a special day this Friday to the situation in Ukraine, live from kyiv.
Exactly 365 days ago, Ukrainians woke up to bombs. THE Thursday February 24 2022, shortly before 3 a.m. (UT), Russian President Vladimir Putin say these words in an official televised address: I have decided to carry out a special military operation ” in Ukraine. As stated justification, the ” demilitarization and denazification from the neighboring country. Then, speaking directly to the Ukrainian soldiers, Vladimir Putin called on them to ” Throw down the weapons “.
For several weeks now, Western intelligence has been alerting to the movements of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine. It is on this subject that the UN Security Council is meeting when Vladimir Putin takes the floor. The head of the UN, Antonio Guterres, then called for an immediate end to the conflict. The French ambassador, Nicolas de Rivière, for his part, denounced ” contempt displayed by Russia to the United Nations.
Repeated attacks
At the same time, around 3:30 a.m., explosions sounded in the center of kyiv and in several towns in the east of the country, notably in Mariupol. In the early morning, surveillance cameras film tanks at the border. Ukraine then certifies having shot down Russian planes and helicopters. While the Russian army claims to have destroyed Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense systems and only target their military sites. The Russian ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, assured the UN Security Council: We are not aggressive towards the Ukrainian people, but towards the ruling junta in kyiv. »
In a few hours, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky takes on the role of military leader and surprises the whole world with his responsiveness, he whose the image of the former comedian stuck to the skin. He breaks his diplomatic relations with Moscow, imposes martial law and decrees general mobilization. ” Don’t panic, we will overcome “, he hammers in an address to the nation at the start of the offensive, the first of a long series of speeches.
It’s 7am. Near Kharkiv, a city in the northeast also targeted by heavy bombardments, the two armies are already clashing. In the capital, a crowd of Ukrainians took refuge in the subways, to take shelter from the bombs or to try to leave the city. Traffic jams form at city exits. ” Service stations are literally stormed by motorists. Long queues formed on the road from Mariupol to Zaporizhia “says our special correspondent that day, Anastasia Bechio.
Denis Strelkovthe special correspondent for RFI in Russian in kyiv, describes, for his part, a ” absolute silence, almost deadly in the totally emptied city center of the capital.
International outrage
This Thursday, February 24, 2022 is going by at full speed. The world’s news channels broadcast images of the airstrikes on a loop. Throughout the day, thousands of demonstrators protest in many countries against the Russian invasion. At the same time, Russia announces that it is gaining ground in the Donbass, to the east, while the first Ukrainians are fleeing to Poland or Moldova. Around 4 p.m., the military airport of Hostomel, north of kyiv, fell into the hands of the Russian army. A little later, it was the turn of the Chernobyl power plant to be controlled by Russia. But against all odds, the Ukrainian army holds the shock and resists.
As the fighting drags on and Russian ground forces push into the country, international reactions are raining : NATO condemns a “ a reckless and unprovoked attack from the Kremlin, US President Joe Biden says that “ the world will hold Russia accountable “, Moscow risks “ unprecedented isolation according to the head of European diplomacy in Brussels, Josep Borrell. Many heads of state across the globe take turns publicly outraged and lend their support to Ukraine. Emmanuel Macron, for his part, evokes a “ turning point in European history ” while maintaining : ” We will be without weakness and we will respond with composure. »
At 8 a.m., as soon as they open, the stock exchanges collapse. The price of raw materials soared, the price of wheat reached unprecedented levels, with a peak at 344 euros per ton. In the afternoon, the Council of Europe convenes a ” extraordinary meeting of its Committee of Ministers. At 8:30 p.m., a first package of sanctions ” massive against Moscow is adopted by Europe, but also by the United States or Canada, targeting banks, the energy sector and those close to Russian power. In the evening, kyiv implores the international community to ” act immediately in a statement.
At the end of this historic day, the human toll is already heavy. Volodymyr Zelensky mentions 137 dead and more than 300 injured across the country. The war is on.