BORIS Johnson today whacked “bloodstained” Vladimir Putin with 10 crippling sanctions for invading Ukraine – banning Russia’s main airline and dozens of Kremlin cronies.
The PM vowed to go after billionaire oligarchs as he unveiled the unprecedented punishment package in the Commons this evening.
Boris Johnson in the Commons tonight
Video showed a huge explosion as Melitopol air base came under attack Credit: Twitter
More than 100 firms and oligarchs including Kirill Shamalov – Russia’s youngest billionaire and ex-husband of Putin’s daughter – will be barred from Britain.
Ministers will also impose a cap on the deposits Russians can hold in UK bank accounts to drive out uber-wealthy nationals oligarchs from London.
All major Russian banks will be kneecapped with an asset freeze, including £54billion Moscow giant VTB.
And all flights from Aeroflot – Russia’s flag carrier and top Man Utd sponsor – will be banned from landing on British soil.
Blasting warmongering Putin, Mr Johnson told MPs: “He will never be able to cleanse the blood of Ukraine from his hands.
“And although the UK and our allies tried every avenue for diplomacy until the final hour, I’m driven to conclude that Putin was always determined to attack his neighbour, no matter what we did.
“Now we see him for what he is – a bloodstained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest.”
In major developments:
- Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine under the guise of a “special military operation”
- Missiles, airstrikes and bombs began raining down on Ukrainian cities in the early hours
- The Kremlin tyrant told Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their weapons and return to their families
- He warned that any other nations that interfere will face “defeat and dire consequences”
- In a sobering national address Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed his citizens will fight for their homeland
- Liz Truss ended a “heated meeting” with the Russian ambassador early
Bombs and missiles began falling on Ukraine at dawn shortly after Putin declared war on the country in a chilling televised address.
Bloodied civilians were pictured stumbling through debris after air strikes blitzed a slew of major cities, including the capital Kyiv.
Mr Johnson was woken at 4am for an urgent call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before chairing a Cobra meeting in Whitehall.
In his four-minute TV statement early today he said: “Our worst fears have now come true and all our warnings have proved tragically accurate.
“President Putin of Russia has unleashed war in our European continent.”
‘BARBARIC VENTURE’
Mr Johnson confirmed a “vast invasion is underway” by Russian forces attacking via land, sea and air.
In a stark update he said: “Innumerable missiles and bombs have been raining down on an entirely innocent population.”
He said Putin would regret launching a “tidal wave of violence” and warned many Russians would also die in the fighting.
Speaking directly to the people of Russia he said: “The parents of Russian soldiers who will lose their lives.
“I cannot believe this is being done in your name or that you really want the pariah status it will bring to the Putin regime.”
He will come to Parliament this afternoon where he will hit Moscow with fresh sanctions designed to throttle the Russian economy.
He said: “Today in concert with our allies we will agree a massive package of economic sanctions designed in time to hobble the Russian economy
“Our mission is clear Diplomatically, politically, economically – and eventually, militarily – this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure.”
On Monday Britain imposed sanctions on three of Putin’s cronies and five banks linked to the Kremlin.
Russian MPs who voted for Putin’s naked power-grab in the breakaway Donbass and Luhansk regions were also targeted.
Mr Johnson insisted it was only the first tranche of sanctions and would ratchet them up if Moscow stepped up its aggression.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has summoned the Russian ambassador to explain the “illegal and unprovoked” attack.
RUSSIA UNLEASHES WAR
Russia has unleashed a salvo of missiles on Ukraine as 200,000 of Putin’s forces launched a long-feared invasion of the country.
Kyiv was rocked by a number of explosions, with dramatic footage showing fire rising from buildings as loud blasts echoed.
Hundreds of casualties have been reported by Ukraine’s Interior Ministry as the country was placed under martial law.
Ministry advisor Anton Herashchenko said Russian troops had landed in Odessa and separately were moving into Kharkiv.
Read our Russia – Ukraine live blog for the very latest updates
Unconfirmed reports and pictures of wreckage suggested a Russian drone had been shot down near Kyiv.
Lights in the capital went out at 6.30am – and seven minutes later, an enormous blast was heard nearby.
At 7.05am sirens began blaring across the capital for the first time as frightened locals braced themselves for a bomb blitz.
Access to the Black Sea and Azov Sea was cut off as an amphibious landing from a tanker and helicopter aircraft was reported near the southern port of Odessa.
A meeting of G7 leaders will also take place today, President Joe Biden has confirmed.
“President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” Mr Biden said.
“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.
‘NO ONE SHOULD FORGET THIS DAY’
“The world will hold Russia accountable.”
Putin sent tanks and 10,000 troops into two breakaway pro-Russian provinces of Ukraine – Donetsk and Luhansk – earlier this week.
It came after he granted recognition to the two areas in a controversial move he insisted was to protect them from “Ukrainian aggression”.
He also made a rambling speech on Russian TV blaming NATO for the current crisis and claimed Kyiv was creating “weapons of mass destruction”.
Last night, he warned that any foreign powers who intervene will face “untold consequences”.
PUTIN’S WARNING
“To anyone who would consider interfering from outside: if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history,” he said.
“All the relevant decisions have been taken.
“I hope you hear me.”
Ukraine has urged its people to take up arms, with one of its MPs warning Russian soldiers they will “die like dogs” if they invade.
Ukraine has now declared a 30-day state of emergency, with fears the country’s second city Kharkiv is next in Putin’s sights.
The country’s National Security and Defence Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said the measure would enable martial law and night-time curfews.
Other restrictions could include checkpoints, road closures, airport shutdowns and confiscation of property if the security situation worsens.
One of Ukraine’s MPs also issued a chilling warning to Russian troops, saying: “Welcome to hell… you will die here.”
