Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Day 1 [Compilation of Videos]

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, its neighbor to the southwest, marking the largest escalation of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014. The campaign was preceded by a prolonged Russian military build-up beginning in early 2021. Putin, claiming that post-1997 NATO expansion is a security threat for Russia, demanded that Ukraine be legally prohibited from joining the military alliance of NATO. He also cited 'historical injustices' regarding the dissolution of the Soviet Union and claimed that Ukraine and its people are fundamentally part of Russia, ideas which have been labelled Russian irredentism. Days prior to the invasion, Russia recognized two self-proclaimed states within Ukraine's borders: the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic. The Russian Armed Forces entered the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine on 21 February. On 22 February, the Russian Federation Council unanimously authorized the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to use military force outside Russia.

Around 05:00 local time (06:00 Moscow Time) on 24 February, Putin announced a "special military operation" in eastern Ukraine; minutes later, missile strikes began at locations across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv. The Ukrainian Border Service stated that its border posts with Russia and Belarus were attacked. Two hours later, Russian ground forces entered the country. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, responded by enacting martial law, severing diplomatic ties with Russia and announcing general mobilization. The invasion received widespread international condemnation, including sanctions being imposed on Russia, while anti-war protests in Russia were met with mass arrests.

NOTE: ALL DESCRIPTIONS OF CLIPS WERE FROM TWITTER POSTS, THE DESCRIPTIONS MAY BE INCORRECT FOR SOME OF THEM.

ALSO NOTE: SOME OF THESE VIDEOS MAY BE OLD! I CANNOT PICK OUT ALL OF THE OLD FOOTAGE! IF YOU SPOT SOME OF THE OLD FOOTAGE, PLEASE COMMENT DOWN BELOW AND I WILL REMOVE THE OLD VIDEOS!

FINAL NOTE: I WILL NOT BE POSTING ANY CLIPS SHOWING DEAD BODIES, THOSE GO AGAINST YOUTUBE'S TERMS OF SERVICE!