Latest on Russia-Ukraine: Russian forces trying to seize Chernobyl, Ukrainian president says; More than 40 Ukrainian soldiers killed, dozens wounded

The latest on Russia and Ukraine from Canada and around the world Thursday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.

10:49 a.m.: The Premier of Ontario called Vladimir Putin a thug" in statements made in the legislature Thursday morning. Doug Ford said Ukraine and Canada are forever tied together as two nations an ocean apart" and made references to Ukrainian-Canadian greats who became household names like Wayne Gretzky, Randy Bachman and Alex Trebek.

The premier listed significant dates like the start of the First and Second World War, and said he hoped Feb. 24, 2022 would not be one that required adding to the history books.

10:36 a.m. (Updated 10:59 a.m.): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces are trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant.

National Guard troops responsible for protecting the storage unit for dangerous radioactive waste are putting up fierce resistance," said Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister. Should an artillery shell hit the storage unit, Herashchenko said, radioactive dust could cover the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and the countries of the European Union."

The plant was the site of the world's worst nuclear accident when a nuclear reactor exploded in April 1986, spewing radioactive waste across Europe. The plant lies 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of the capital of Kyiv.

The exploded reactor has been covered by a protective shelter to prevent radiation leak and the entire plant has been decommissioned.

Zelenskyy said on Twitter that our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated." He added that this is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe."

10:25 a.m.: Stock markets around the world plunged after Russia launched military action in Ukraine and prices for oil and gold jumped higher.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 303.83 points at 20,440.34 in early trading, while European stock markets also fell.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 783.34 points at 32,348.42. The S&P 500 index was down 87.83 points at 4,137.67, while the Nasdaq composite was down 281.03 points at 12,756.46.

The Canadian dollar traded for 77.92 cents US compared with 78.63 cents US on Wednesday.

The April crude contract was up US$7.01 at US$99.11 per barrel and the April natural gas contract was up 27 cents at US$4.86 per mmBTU.

The April gold contract was up US$47.00 at US$1,957.40 an ounce and the May copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.49 a pound.

10:17 a.m.: President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops into Ukraine but made clear his target goes beyond his neighbor to America's empire of lies," and he threatened consequences you have never faced in your history" for anyone who tries to interfere with us."

In a rambling speech early Thursday, full of festering historical grievances and accusations of a relentless Western plot against his country, Putin reminded the world that Russia remains one of the most powerful nuclear states" with a certain advantage in several cutting edge weapons."

In effect, Putin's speech, intended to justify the invasion, seemed to come close to threatening nuclear war.

In the context of Russia's nuclear arsenal, Putin said, there should be no doubt that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country."

We now have war in Europe on a scale and of a type we thought belonged to history," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday, describing the incursion as a deliberate, cold-blooded and long-planned invasion" and a blatant violation of international law."

This is a grave moment for the security of Europe," said Stoltenberg, who will convene an emergency virtual summit of NATO leaders Friday. Russia's unjustified and unprovoked attack on Ukraine is putting countless innocent lives at risk with air and missile attacks, ground forces and special forces from multiple directions, targeting military infrastructure and major urban centers."

9:29 a.m.: Dozens of Ukrainian military personnel were killed in the early hours of Russia's multipronged assault on the country, officials said Thursday, as its overmatched army strained to mount an all-out defense" against Russian forces advancing by land, sea and air.

More than 40 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and dozens were wounded in fighting Thursday morning, said Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.

At least 18 military officials were killed in an attack outside the Black Sea port city of Odessa, where amphibious commandos from the Russian navy came ashore, according to Sergey Nazarov, an aide to Odessa's mayor.

9:28 a.m.: Since Feb. 1, the Canadian government has been advising Canadians to leave Ukraine while flights and other forms of commercial travel were still available.

You should not depend on the Government of Canada to help you leave the country. If you are in Ukraine, you should shelter in place unless it is safe for you to leave the country," reads the federal site.

Canadians still in Ukraine are advised to have a security plan in place, identify the location of the closest bomb shelter, monitor credible news outlets for updates, and register their contact information through the Registration of Canadians Abroad service.

In case of an attack, seek shelter in a hardened structure and away from windows," reads the site.

Canadians trying to leave Ukraine now are being urged to use their best judgement and up to date information in order to determine the safest routes to leave. Borders may close without notice, and additional restrictions or requirements may be implemented suddenly by other countries.

If you plan to leave Ukraine by air or land, confirm your destination's entry requirements prior to arrival," warns the site.

9:27 a.m.: President Joe Biden is expected on Thursday to announce the U.S. will impose severe economic sanctions on Russia over what he described as an unprovoked and unjustified attack" on Ukraine.

In a statement issued just after midnight, Biden did not detail what those severe" measures would entail but said he was hoping to rally international condemnation" of the attack. The White House in recent days has ordered sanctions that officials said would target Russian financial institutions and the country's elites and their family members, including the head of Russia's Federal Security Service.

President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering," Biden said in a statement Wednesday night. 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."

8:43 a.m.: French President Emmanuel Macron says France and its European allies did everything to try to head off the attack on Ukraine. He said that they will show no weakness" in their response.

Macron said in a televised address to the nation Thursday that Russia's attack is a turning point in European history" and as a result there will be profound consequences for our continent and changes in our lives."

He said that to this act of war, we will reply without weakness, we will reply calmly and in a determined and united manner."

We have tried everything to avoid this war but it is here and we are ready," Macron said.

He said that sanctions will be proportionate" to Russia's military operations, targeting its economy and its energy sector.

We will show no weakness," Macron said. We will take all measures necessary to defend the sovereignty and stability of our European allies."

8:22 a.m.: The Auschwitz Memorial has weighed in on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, issuing a statement Thursday morning.

This act of barbarity will be judged by history, and its perpetrators, it is to be hoped, also by the International Court of Justice," reads the statement posted on Twitter this morning.

The organization goes on to condemn Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, saying that once again innocent people are being killed purely because of insane pseudo-imperial megalomania."

The Memorial preserves the site of the former German Nazi Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp.

8:09 a.m.: Even with the tons of weapons, ammunition and equipment delivered to Ukraine by Western allies in just the last few weeks, the Ukrainian military is outgunned by the larger, more technologically advanced Russian forces that have launched a multipronged invasion.

Back in December, the commander of Ukraine's military intelligence service, Gen. Kyrylo O. Budanov, outlined a scenario in which a Russian invasion would begin with airstrikes and rocket attacks aimed at ammunition depots and trench-bound troops - foreshadowing the attack that came early Thursday morning.

Very quickly, he said, the Ukrainian military would be incapacitated, its leadership unable to coordinate a defense and supply the front. After that, he said, responsibility would fall to frontline commanders to carry on the fight alone.

They will hold up as long as there are bullets," Budanov said. They'll be able to use what they have in their hands. But believe me, without delivery of reserves, there's not an army in the world that can hold out."

Budanov spoke at a time when the Russian military had deployed about 100,000 troops to the region. By the time of the invasion, according to U.S. officials, Russia had amassed an estimated 190,000 troops in or near Ukraine, including in Crimea and in Russia-backed separatist areas in the eastern Donbas region.

7:57 a.m.: The National Bank of Ukraine has opened an account for Ukraine's armed forces. Their statement on Thursday reads:

The National Bank of Ukraine has decided to open a special fundraising account to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The central bank's decision comes after the Ukrainian government imposed martial law throughout Ukraine in response to armed aggression by Russia and the renewed threat to Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity.

NBU Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko announced the opening of this special account in his 24 February video address.

The number of the special account: UA843000010000000047330992708

This account accepts multiple currencies. It has been established and opened to receive transfers from international partners and donors in both foreign currency (U.S. dollars, euros, UK pounds) and hryvnias.

Support the Armed Forces of Ukraine!"

7:36 a.m.: Ukrainian forces were in all-out defense mode" on Thursday to repel a multipronged Russian assault by land, sea and air. The Ukrainian military claimed to have shot down several Russian military aircraft, and civilians lined up at recruitment offices to take up arms against President Vladimir Putin's forces.

More than 40 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and dozens were wounded in fighting Thursday morning, said Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.

The country's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said that Ukraine was facing a full-scale attack from multiple directions" but that it continues to defend itself" from the Russian advance.

Initial reports of the fighting suggested that Russian forces had crossed into Ukraine at multiple points, with helicopter-borne troops flying in under the cover of machine-gun fire, naval units coming ashore in the southern port city of Odessa and military vehicles crossing from Crimea, the peninsula that Russia seized in 2014.

Ukrainian forces said they had shot down several Russian fighters and a helicopter in an increasingly intense battle to maintain control over key cities, a senior Ukrainian military official said. Ukrainian troops had also repelled Russian advances on two major cities: Chernihiv in the north, near the Belarus border, and Kharkiv in the northeast, close to Russia, the official said.

6:42 a.m.: Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday signed a decree declaring a state of emergency in the Baltic country in response to Russia's military attack on Ukraine.

The Baltic country's parliament was expected to approve the measure in an extraordinary session later on Thursday.

The measure, in effect until March 10, allows for a more flexible use of state reserve funds and increased border protection, giving border guards greater authorities to stop and search individuals and vehicles in border areas.

NATO member Lithuania borders Russia's Kaliningrad region to the southwest, Belarus to the east, Latvia to the north and Poland to the south.

6:41 a.m. (Updated 7:38 a.m.):

Speaking after chairing an emergency meeting of NATO envoys, Stoltenberg said the 30-nation security alliance will continue to beef up its defenses on its eastern flank near Ukraine and Russia. He said U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts will hold an online summit on Friday.

Russia has attacked Ukraine. This is a brutal act of war. Our thoughts are with the brave people of Ukraine," Stoltenberg told reporters. Peace in our continent has been shattered. We now have war in Europe, on a scale and of a type we thought belong to history."

NATO is the strongest alliance in history, and make no mistake we will defend every ally against any attack on every inch of NATO territory," he said at the organization's Brussels headquarters. An attack on one ally will trigger a response from the whole alliance."

Earlier:

NATO's secretary-general says Russia has launched war on Ukraine and shattered peace on the European continent.

Jens Stoltenberg called for a summit of NATO alliance leaders for Friday.

Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling. Ukraine's government said Russian tanks and troops rolled across the border and accused Moscow of unleashing a full-scale war."

6:40 a.m.: NATO agreed at emergency talks on Thursday to further beef up its land, sea and air forces on its eastern flank near Ukraine and Russia after President Vladimir Putin ordered a military offensive in Ukraine.

We are deploying additional defensive land and air forces to the eastern part of the alliance, as well as additional maritime assets," NATO ambassadors said in a statement. We have increased the readiness of our forces to respond to all contingencies."

Countries closest to the conflict - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland - requested rare consultations under Article 4 of NATO's founding treaty, which can be launched when the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the (NATO) parties is threatened."

We have decided, in line with our defensive planning to protect all allies, to take additional steps to further strengthen deterrence and defence across the Alliance," the envoys said. Our measures are and remain preventive, proportionate and nonescalatory."

While some of NATO's 30 member countries are supplying arms, ammunition and other equipment to Ukraine, NATO as an organization isn't. It won't launch any military action in support of Ukraine, which is a close partner but has no prospect of joining.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, however, said in a joint-statement: We would need to urgently provide Ukrainian people with weapons, ammunition and any other kind of military support to defend itself as well as economic, financial and political assistance and support, humanitarian aid."

The most effective response to Russia's aggression is unity," Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas tweeted. Russia's widespread aggression is a threat to the entire world and to all NATO countries."

6:40 a.m. (Updated 6:50 a.m.):

UEFA will no longer stage this season's Champions League final in St. Petersburg after Russia attacked Ukraine, The Associated Press has learned.

An extraordinary meeting of the UEFA executive committee will be held on Friday to discuss the geopolitical crisis and when officials are set to confirm taking the May 28 showpiece game out of Russia, a person with knowledge of the process said on Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks.

UEFA confirmed there is a meeting due at 0900 GMT on Friday.

Following the evolution of the situation between Russia and Ukraine in the last 24 hours, the UEFA president has decided to call an extraordinary meeting of the executive committee .... in order to evaluate the situation and take all necessary decisions," UEFA said in a statement.

Earlier:

UEFA has called an emergency meeting of its top decision-making body to discuss moving the Champions League final out of Russia after Moscow attacked Ukraine on Thursday.

The British government has been leading calls for the showpiece game to no longer be played in St. Petersburg on May 28.

The extraordinary meeting of the UEFA executive committee will be held on Friday in order to evaluate the situation and take all necessary decisions," European football's governing body said in a statement.

The Ukrainian Premier League suspended operations on Thursday due to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to impose martial law. The league has been on a two-month winter break and was due to resume on Friday. It did not give any planned date to restart.

The International Paralympic Committee said it was in talks with sports officials in Ukraine and Russia as their teams prepare to head to China for the start of the Paralympic Games next week.

6:39 a.m.: China repeated calls for talks to resolve the crisis in Ukraine on Thursday while refusing to criticize Russia's attack and accusing the U.S. and its allies of worsening the situation.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters at a daily briefing that the Ukraine issue is complex in its historical background ... what we are seeing today is the interplay of complex factors."

China is closely following the latest developments," Hua said. We still hope that the parties concerned will not shut the door to peace and engage instead in dialogue and consultation and prevent the situation from further escalating,"

Although China has not endorsed President Vladimir Putin's recognition of independence of eastern Ukraine's separatist areas or Putin's decision to send Russian forces there, Hua said China called on parties to respect others' legitimate security concerns."

All parties should work for peace instead of escalating the tension or hyping up the possibility of war," Hua said, repeating the language China has consistently used to criticize the West during the crisis.

Those parties who were busy condemning others, what have they done ? Have they persuaded others?" Hua said.

6:38 a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging global leaders to provide defence assistance to Ukraine and help protect its airspace from Russia.

In a statement that comes amid Russia's wide-ranging attack on Ukraine that began early Thursday, Zelenskyy said that Russia has unleased a war with Ukraine and the entire democratic world."

He asked for world leaders to provide large-scale defence support and to protect Ukraine's airspace from the aggressor."

6:37 a.m.: The European Union is planning the strongest, the harshest package" of sanctions it has ever considered at an emergency Thursday, as the Russian military attacked Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the target is the stability in Europe and the whole of the international peace order, and we will hold President (Vladimir) Putin accountable for that."

We will present a package of massive and targeted sanctions to European leaders for approval," she said.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called it the strongest, the harshest package" ever considered.

6:36 a.m.: The turmoil from the beginning of a long-feared act of aggression rippled from Europe to Asia. Stock markets plunged, oil prices surged, and European aviation officials warned of a high risk to civilian aircraft over Ukraine, reminding air operators that this is now an active conflict zone."

In New York, the U.N. Security Council held an extraordinary emergency meeting meant to dissuade Russia from sending troops into Ukraine. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' plea to give peace a chance" came just as Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared on Russian TV to announce a military operation that he maintained was to protect civilians in Ukraine.

Putin, who said that rebels in eastern Ukraine had asked Moscow for military assistance, warned other countries that any effort to interfere with the Russian operation would lead to consequences they have never seen."

As leaders across Asia and Europe scrambled to condemn the attack, explosions were heard in Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine. Nations around the world this week have also imposed a raft of new sanctions on Russia.

In these dark hours, our thoughts are with Ukraine and the innocent women, men and children as they face this unprovoked attack and fear for their lives," European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter. We will hold the Kremlin accountable."

6:35 a.m.: With rare but fragile alignment, the U.S. Congress is largely backing President Joe Biden's decision to confront Russia with potentially escalating sanctions for the crisis in Ukraine as lawmakers brace for perhaps the most daunting foreign policy crisis the nation has faced in a generation.

But the next steps are highly volatile - even more so after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced early Thursday a military operation in Ukraine and explosions were heard in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa and other cities there.

We must refuse to stand by and watch innocent Ukrainian men, women, and children suffer," the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said in a statement after Putin's forces moved against Ukraine. He said he was committed to ensuring that the United States upholds our responsibility to exact maximum costs on Putin, the Russian economy, and those who enabled and facilitated this trampling of Ukraine's sovereignty."

6:34 a.m.: The emergency U.N. Security Council meeting was meant as an eleventh hour effort to dissuade Russia from sending troops into Ukraine. But the message became moot even as it was being delivered.

While diplomats at U.N. headquarters were making pleas for Russia to back off - Give peace a chance," Secretary-General Antonio Guterres implored - Russian President Vladimir Putin went on television in his homeland to announce a military operation that he said was intended to protect civilians in Ukraine.

Putin warned other countries that any effort to interfere with the Russian operation would lead to consequences they have never seen."

6:33 a.m.: Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions, warning other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to consequences you have never seen."

Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine's democratically elected government.

Thursday 6:32 a.m.: President Joe Biden said the world would hold Russia accountable" as explosions were seen in Ukraine's second-largest city minutes after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the start of a special military operation" in the country.

President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering," Biden said in a statement Wednesday night. 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. "