Missiles rain down on Kiev and amphibious assault is launched on Odessa after Putin ordered 'special military operation' in Ukraine to 'denazify' it

Missiles rain down on Kiev and amphibious assault is launched on Odessa after Putin ordered 'special military operation' in Ukraine to 'denazify' it: Biden leads condemnation of 'unprovoked and unjustified' invasion as Ukrainian forces fight back

Vladimir Putin in an early morning address on Thursday said that he had invaded Ukraine
Putin said that it was a 'special military operation' in the Donbas region to 'demilitarize' the area
Putin insisted that it was not an occupation, as explosions reported in Kiev, Mariupol, Kharkiv and Odessa
Unconfirmed reports on Twitter appeared to show a huge seaborne landing by Russian forces in the Black Sea port of Odessa, involving large landing craft and helicopters shortly before 6am local time

Biden issued a statement saying: 'President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering'
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed that the Ukrainian people will 'fight back' if Putin invades
Ukraine was earlier on Wednesday placed on a war footing with state of emergency declared; 200,000 military reservists called up; border areas restricted and citizens given right to arm themselves
Boris Johnson pledged more British weapons to help defend Ukraine, and tougher sanctions if Russia attacks Putin gave sabre-rattling speech to troops, praising their 'readiness' and boasting of 'advanced' weapons
Video footage appeared to show clouds of smoke rising up into the night sky near Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, but it was unconfirmed whether it was as a result of shelling

Vladimir Putin has ordered an invasion of Ukraine, describing it as a 'special military operation' and saying he wants to 'demilitarize', not occupy, the country.

The Russian president told Ukrainian service members to 'lay down their arms and go home' as he declared war on Ukraine in an early morning address to the nation.

Putin said Russia could not exist with a 'constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine' and clashes between Russian and Ukrainian solders was 'inevitable'.

Unconfirmed reports said that Russian forces had destroyed or rendered unusable the Ukrainian navy, and taken control of Boryspil Airport in Kiev.

Access to the Black Sea and Azov Sea was cut off.

Unconfirmed reports on Twitter appeared to show a huge seaborne landing by Russian forces in the Black Sea port of Odessa, involving large landing craft and helicopters shortly before 6am local time.

President Joe Biden condemned Russia's 'unprovoked and unjustified attack.'

He said in a statement: 'President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.

'Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.'

Biden said he will be monitoring the situation from Washington, DC, and will continue to get regular updates from his national security team.