Several blasts head in Kiev early on Friday - agency - TASS

Several blasts were heard in the Ukrainian capital Kiev early on Friday, the UNIAN news agency reported.

According to the report, the blasts were heard in various districts of the Ukrainan capital at 04:22 local time (05:22 Moscow time).

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Thursday morning that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.

The Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. There are no threats whatsoever to the civilian population.