Russia attacks Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has introduced martial law, and urged people to remain calm in a brief video address on Thursday morning.

Here's Zelensky's full statement:

India's Ambassador to the United Nations T. S. Tirumurti on Wednesday night said the situation in Ukraine is “in danger of spiraling into a major crisis.”

Tirumurti called on all parties concerned in the Ukraine-Russia crisis to refrain “from any further action that could contribute to a worsening of the situation.

“India has consistently advocated at the United Nations, the need for peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law and with agreements entered into by parties concerned,” he said.

The United States and its allies are planning on Thursday to trigger the “full scale” of sanctions against Russia that have been discussed over the past several weeks, according to a senior Biden administration official.

While the official declined to lay out specifics, the US has planned to target Russia’s two largest banks, as well as other financial firms, and has prepared to deploy export controls to cut off Russian access to critical Western technology for entire Russian economic sectors.

Additional members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and their families will also be targeted.

Discussions are ongoing late this evening between US and European officials about the final shape of the package, the official said. It will also be a topic of discussion at the virtual G7 meeting scheduled for Thursday morning, the official said.

US officials also remain on high alert for any cyber activity targeting key domestic targets including banks and critical infrastructure, the official said.

China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, called on all parties involved in the Ukraine-Russia crisis to “stay cool headed and rational.”

“It is especially important at the moment to avoid fueling tensions,” Zhang said at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday night.

“China will continue to promote peace talks in its own ways and welcomes and encourages all efforts aimed at a diplomatic solution,” Zhang said. 

In a tweet early Thursday morning, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned Russia's "reckless attack on Ukraine, which puts at risk countless civilian lives."

“This is a grave breach of international law & a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security. NATO Allies will meet to address Russia’s renewed aggression," Stoltenberg added.

US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are currently speaking, according to a White House official.

Speaking to Fox News late Wednesday, former US President Donald Trump called Russia’s military operation in Ukraine “a very sad thing for the world” and claimed it wouldn’t have happened during his administration. 

The former President’s comments come a day after he hailed Russian President Vladimir Putin's recognition of the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, as an act of "genius."

White House response: Asked about Trump’s initial comments on Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the White House does not “take advice from anyone who praises President Putin.” 

Psaki added then that the Biden administration is taking a “different approach” from the Trump administration, adding, “That’s probably why President Biden and not his predecessor was able to rally the world and the global community in taking steps against Russian aggression.”

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring his troops back to Russia and stop "what could be the worst war since the beginning of the century."

Speaking after a UN Security Council meeting late on Wednesday, Guterres warned Putin that Russian military action could not only be "devastating for Ukraine" and "tragic" for Russia "but with an impact we can not even foresee in relation to their consequences for the global economy.”

“In a moment when we are emerging from Covid and so many developing countries absolutely need to have space for the recovery, which would be very, very difficult with the high prices of oil, with the exports of wheat from Ukraine and with rising interest rates caused by instability in international markets,” he added.

Guterres earlier opened his remarks at the stakeout with a somber statement: “This is the saddest moment in my tenure as Secretary General of the United Nations,” he said.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he had ordered military action in Ukraine early Thursday, he threatened "those who may be tempted to intervene" on Ukraine's behalf. 

CNN teams on the ground have reported explosions around Ukraine and outside of the Donbas region in the country's east.