Vladimir Putin

The Ukrainian Ambassador to India Igor Polikha urged the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to interfere and 'immediately contact Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky'.

India has expanded its control room at the ministry of external affairs in New Delhi in the wake of Russian's military operation in Eastern Ukraine and also Kyiv shutting the airspace for civil aircraft.

The Narendra Modi government is closely monitoring the rapidly-changing situation in Ukraine through a control room in the MEA which will be operational on a 24x7 basis.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation had been anticipating the Russian invasion of Ukraine for days. Time and again, NATO has been stating that even as it was keeping all diplomatic channels open with Moscow to resolve the crisis, the group was ready for a swift response if Russia chose aggression.

Earlier in the day, Russia's defence ministry announced that it had destroyed military infrastructure at Ukraine's air bases and "suppressed" its air defences. Ukraine also claimed that five Russian planes and one helicopter had been shot down.

Even as the Russian bombardment in Ukraine continues, India has said that contingency plans are being put into operation. Government sources said that New Delhi is closely monitoring the rapidly changing situation.

"All those travelling to Kyiv, including those travelling from western Kyiv, are advised to return to their respective cities temporarily, particularly to safer places along the western bordering countries," the advisory said.

Experts in India say that it would be premature to jump to a conclusion that Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That's because Putin's statement was limited to the Donbas region, where the rebels had sought Russian military help against Ukrainian forces.

Russian President VladimirPutin on Thursday announced a special military operation aimed at demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine.

Dramatic footage showing air raid sirens going off in Ukraine's capital Kyiv and military targets being pounded by Russian armed forces are emerging on social media.