Russian forces have started an invasion of Ukraine on the orders of Vladimir Putin, who announced a 'special military operation' at dawn amid warnings from world leaders that it could spark the biggest conflict in Europe since the second world war. Within minutes of Putin’s short televised address, at about 5am Ukrainian time, explosions were reported near major Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv. Live updates on our blog: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/feb/24/russia-inva