On Feb. 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into neighboring Ukraine under the guise of a “special military operation.” Despite condemnation from the international community, Putin pushed forward vowing “consequences you have never seen” for nations that choose to interfere.
Events of the invasion have played out in real time on social media platforms. Sources on the ground in Ukraine are reporting live on Twitter. Military Times is chronicling these accounts and will continue to provide live updates throughout the weekend from trusted sources. You can find previous updates since the start of the invasion here.
4:15 p.m. EST
All men ages 18 to 60 have been ordered to remain in Ukraine to fight Russian troops.
3:30 p.m. EST
The Ukraine delegation calls for an inquiry into possible Russian war crimes.
2:30 p.m. EST
Casualties continue to rise as the fighting in Ukraine continues.
1:10 p.m. EST
12:40 p.m. EST
Ukraine announced yesterday the establishment of the “International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine,” a fighting force open to foreign fighters looking to aid Ukraine in its battle against Russia. While multiple countries have voiced their support not just for the country but for its latest call to arms, some nations are now voicing their trepidation over the idea.
12:15 p.m. EST
12:05 p.m. EST
At a Pentagon background briefing Monday, a senior U.S. official provided media with more information regarding the invasion in Ukraine.
11:35 a.m. EST
Wagner Group, an organization of Russian paramilitary mercenaries, were most recently noted in the AFRICOM AO.
11:00 a.m. EST
The U.S. and Albania requested a Sunday Security Council meeting to vote to convene the emergency General Assembly session, the first of its kind in 40 years and only the 11th such session in U.N. history, CBS News reported.
10:45 a.m. EST
10:30 a.m. EST
10:00 a.m. EST
With continued reports of Russian usage of cluster munitions, organizations like Amnesty International -- who reported “a 220mm Uragan rocket dropped cluster munitions on the Sonechko nursery and kindergarten in the town of Okhtyrka in Sumy Oblast” on Friday -- are speculating Russia could later be charged with committing war crimes.
9:30 a.m. EST
9:10 a.m. EST
8:30 a.m. EST
As Ukrainian and Russian delegates meet in Belarus, a White House official said Monday morning that they’re “watching the situation very carefully,” when asked about reports that Belarusian troops will join Russian forces. “To the extent Belarus continues to aid and abet Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, they will also face consequences.”
Reports on the attack of Kharkiv detail a brutal scene, with many civilian casualties and neighborhoods leveled by shelling.
7:30 a.m. EST
6:29 a.m. EST Feb. 28
10:25 p.m. EST; Feb. 27
While this would be a more official entry of Belarus into the conflict, reports since the beginning of the invasion Wednesday night noted Russian missiles being launched from the Belarusian border and Belarusian forces mobilizing and assisting Russian troops in Ukraine, notably the Chernobyl area.
Rachel is a Marine Corps veteran and a master's candidate at New York University's Business & Economic Reporting program.
Sarah Sicard is a Senior Editor with Military Times. She previously served as the Digitial Editor of Military Times and the Army Times Editor. Other work can be found at National Defense Magazine, Task & Purpose, and Defense News.
