Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday in a massive offensive by land, sea and air, in the largest offensive launched by one country against another in Europe since World War Two.
The RIA news agency quoted the Defense Ministry as saying that it had destroyed 74 above-ground military infrastructure facilities in Ukraine, including 11 airstrips.
Ukraine's foreign minister called on his country's allies to sever diplomatic ties with Russia, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged world leaders to provide defense assistance to protect Ukrainian airspace.
The following are the most prominent international positions and reactions to the Russian invasion of Ukraine:
United Nations: An Appeal in the Name of Humanity
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war "in the name of humanity".
"President Putin, in the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia," Guterres said after an emergency Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
He added that the consequences of the war would be devastating for Ukraine and far-reaching for the global economy.
In turn, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees appealed to Ukraine's neighbors to keep their borders open to researchers at a safe haven.
UNHCR said it had stepped up its operations and was working with the Ukrainian authorities to provide more humanitarian aid.
The Red Cross: protecting civilians and essential services
Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, urged all parties to the conflict in Ukraine to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians and basic services such as water and electricity supplies.
"ICRC teams are dealing with urgent humanitarian needs and must be able to continue their life-saving work," Maurer said on Twitter.
NATO: Activating Defense Plans
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the alliance will hold a video summit on Friday dedicated to the Russian attack on Ukraine, noting that NATO has activated its "defensive plans" to deploy additional forces in member states.
He explained that "NATO has no troops in Ukraine, and has no plans to send troops to it."
"We have been strengthening our presence in Eastern Europe for weeks. We have thousands of soldiers and we will send more forces in the coming days," he said.
"What we have made very clear is that we have already increased and increased the presence of NATO forces in the eastern part of the alliance's borders," Stoltenberg added.
Stoltenberg talked about "sending elements" of the NATO Response Force, which includes 40,000 soldiers and has a highly prepared joint task force of 8,000 soldiers, including 7,000 French, with an air unit currently under French command.
European Union: Russia's unjustified behavior
The European Union described Russia's attack on Ukraine as "unjustified behaviour", and warned that the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin would face "unprecedented isolation" after its military intervention in Ukraine.
On Thursday, European Council President Charles Michel called on Belarus to "not participate" in the Russian attack on Ukraine, at a time when Russia, according to Kiev, uses Belarusian territory to carry out its invasion.
In turn, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels that "Russian leaders will have to face unprecedented isolation," stressing that the bloc is preparing a new package of sanctions that will be "the most severe ever."
France: serious and long-term consequences
French President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised address that France would stand with Ukraine, adding that Russian action against it would have "serious and long-term" consequences for the continent.
Paris condemned Moscow's use of the territory of neighboring Belarus to carry out military operations against Ukraine, and announced that it would strengthen its support for Kiev, including military support.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement that Paris "condemns the use of the territory of Belarus with the consent of (Alexander) Lukashenko's regime to launch this aggression against a sovereign state.
"France will strengthen its support for Ukraine in all its forms," he added.
Germany: Russia will pay a heavy price
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Western sanctions would ensure that Russia pays "a heavy price" for its attack on Ukraine and makes clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin made a "fatal mistake".
"Putin brings suffering and destruction to his immediate neighbors, he is violating the sovereignty and borders of Ukraine," Schulz told reporters in Berlin.
"He is putting the lives of countless innocents in Ukraine at risk - a brother people of Russia. Ultimately, he is endangering the peace regime on our continent. There is no justification for all this. It is Putin's war."
"As president of the Group of Seven, I will pledge this afternoon during a video conference of the heads of state and government of the Group of Seven, in favor of a unified and clear response," Schulz said, vowing to Moscow "severe new sanctions."
Britain: a massive package of sanctions
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his country and its allies will launch a massive package of economic sanctions to stifle the Russian economy.
"Today, in coordination with our allies, we will agree on a massive package of economic sanctions that, over time, are designed to cripple the Russian economy," Johnson said in a televised address to the people.
"Our mission is clear: through diplomatic, political, economic, and ultimately military means, this brutal and heinous adventure on the part of Vladimir Putin must end in failure," Johnson said.
For its part, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said today, Thursday, that she had summoned the Russian ambassador to explain Moscow's actions.
"I summoned the Russian ambassador to meet me and explain the reason for the illegal and unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine. We will impose severe sanctions on Russia and mobilize countries to support Ukraine," Tras tweeted.
Turkey: a severe blow to stability and peace
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country supports Ukraine's battle to defend
its territorial integrity, and considers Russia's attack a "severe blow" to stability and peace in the region, and reiterated his call to resolve the crisis through dialogue.
"This step, which we consider contrary to international law, is a severe blow to regional stability, peace and harmony," Erdogan said, adding that he informed the Ukrainian president during a phone call on Thursday of Turkey's support.
Erdogan noted that Turkey considers Ukraine and Russia to be friends, adding that he was "really saddened" by the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
The Turkish president, who stepped up his diplomatic efforts with phone calls with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders this week, said his country had no desire to abandon ties with either country.
Italy: Withdrawal of Russian forces without conditions
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his armed forces from Ukraine "unconditionally" and as soon as possible.
"Italy, the European Union and all their allies demand that President Putin immediately end the bloodshed and unconditionally withdraw his military forces outside Ukraine's internationally recognized borders," Draghi said after a cabinet meeting.
Lithuania: state of emergency
The President of Lithuania declared a state of emergency and asked the army to deploy troops on the border in response to "the disturbances and possible provocations caused by the large military forces massed in Russia and Belarus".
The state of emergency, which was declared hours after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, will remain for two weeks.
Parliament will meet later in the day to vote in favor of confirming or overturning President Gitanas Nauseda's decision.
Japan: summons the ambassador and condemns the invasion
The Japanese government said that Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi summoned the Russian ambassador to
Japan to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and told him that the Russian move represented a clear violation of international law.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry said that Hayashi told Ambassador Mikhail Galusin that the Russian side should stop the invasion immediately, and urged the safety of civilians, including the Japanese, unconditionally.
Latvia: Security Risk Warning
Latvia, formerly under Moscow's rule but now a member of NATO and the European Union, has said it must prepare for "potential security risks" after Russian forces invade Ukraine.
"Latvia is safe, we are not under a direct military threat," the foreign ministry of Latvia, one of the Baltic states, said in a statement Thursday.
"However, we must prepare for potential security risks, sudden influx of refugees, cyber and disinformation attacks, and energy resource challenges," the statement added.
Netherlands: Sanctions on Putin personally
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said European sanctions on Russia should target its President Vladimir Putin and his government directly.
"The Netherlands believes that the maximum sanctions should be imposed on Putin and his government," Rutte told reporters.
"We are not in conflict with the Russian people, it is Putin and his government who should be targeted," he added.
Israel: Our citizens are our priority
Israel has condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine and called on world powers to resolve the crisis quickly.
"Russia's attack on Ukraine is a serious violation of the international order. Israel condemns the attack," Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a televised statement.
"There is still time to pause, return to the negotiating table, and resolve differences peacefully with the mediation of world powers. Israel has long-term, deep and good relations with both Russia and Ukraine," he added.
"There are tens of thousands of Israelis in both countries, and there are hundreds of thousands of Jews in both countries, and keeping them safe is our top priority," he said.
South Korea: We will join the sanctions
President Moon Jae-in has confirmed that South Korea will join international economic sanctions against Russia.
"The sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine must be guaranteed," Moon said in a statement issued by the presidential office.
He added that South Korea "will support and participate in the efforts of the international community, including economic sanctions," denouncing the "armed invasion" of Ukraine by Russia.
China: Understanding Russia's "Concerns"
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov Thursday that China "understands Russia's reasonable security concerns", hours after Moscow launched its offensive on Ukraine.
"China has always respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries," Wang said, according to a statement about the phone call released by his ministry. "At the same time, we have noted that the Ukraine issue has a special and complex history. We understand Russia's reasonable security concerns."
Iran: NATO's provocation is the reason
On Thursday, Iran considered that war is not a solution to the crisis between Moscow and Kiev, attributing the tension between them to "provocations" by NATO.
"We do not believe that resorting to war is a solution," Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian wrote on Twitter, stressing the need for "a ceasefire and a political and democratic solution."
On Tuesday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry called on both sides to "exercise restraint and avoid any action that would deepen tensions," saying that "NATO's interventions and provocative moves led by the United States of America have further complicated the situation."
Amir Abdollahian reiterated the position today, saying that "the roots of the Ukrainian crisis go back to the provocative measures of NATO," without additional details.