Putin’s troops raise Russian flag in Ukraine as ‘Z’ tanks lead second wave ground invasion after aerial blitz

RUSSIAN troops have been spotted raising their flag in Ukraine as the second wave of Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

Ground forces have been streaming across the border into the former Soviet state from all sides after the aerial blitz in the early hours.

Tanks, trucks, howitzers and other armoured vehicles – some marked with the distinctive “Z” – have been seen rolling in from Crimea.

Other vehicles crossed the border from Belarus, with these marked with an “O”.

The “Z” symbol became a distinctive image of invasion, as it’s believed to be an invasion organisation marking or to stop friendly fire.

And atop a power plant in Kharkiv, southern Ukraine, a group of soldiers raised the distinctive red, white and blue striped flag of Russia.

Putin had surrounded his western neighbour with some 200,000 troops along with all kinds of weapons.

Fighting is raging through the country as Ukraine attempts to mount a resistance to the assault.

Pictures show dead Russian soldiers and destroyed vehicles on the roadside as the bloody combat rages.

It came as Vladimir Putin declared WAR on Ukraine with an overnight barrage of artillery, airstrikes and missiles. 

Russia launched a full scale invasion as they assaulted 25 cities, destroyed 75 military installations and 11 air bases. 

Troops and tanks surged across the border – many of them emblazoned with the now infamous “Z” symbol – sparking bloody firefights. 

Putin has some 200,000 soldiers ready to move in – encircling the north, south and east of Ukraine.

It comes as:

• Boris Johnson blasted Putin as a ‘bloodstained aggressor’ as he pledged to go after Vlad’s dirty cash
• Bloodied civilians have been left fleeing for their lives across a devastated Ukraine
• Vladimir Putin warned of ‘untold consequences’ if the West challenged his invasion of Ukraine
• Russian troops attacked the nuclear disaster zone of Chernobyl as it lies on the most direct route to Kyiv
• It was warned Putin’s invasion of Ukraine could spark a nuclear war if he goes too far and attacks Nato
• St Petersburg is set to stripped of the Champions League final as Russia becomes an international pariah
• Fears are growing over the price of petrol and gas as the markets quake in the aftermath of the invasion

And the Kremlin has said the operation will last “as long as necessary” as the raging tyrant claims he wants to “denazify” and “demilitarise” his neighbour state. 

Hundreds are already feared to be dead from the assault and there is untold amounts of damage across Ukraine. 

The attack began at around 3.30am local time under the cover of darkness. 

Pictures showed bloody civilians desperate for help, huge crowds and traffic queues attempting to flee to safety, and people weeping as they came to terms with the violence.

🔵 Read our Russia – Ukraine live blog for the very latest updates

Night has now fallen over Ukraine – and its 44million citizens facing an uncertain future. 

But the Ukrainians have so far reportedly mounted a staunch resistance – allegedly shooting down Russian planes and helicopters, as well as blowing up Putin’s tanks. 

Horrifying footage has shown the extent of the assault by the Russians – although exact casualty figures remain unclear. 

Helicopters were seen assaulting an airport near Kyiv, Russian flags were raised in southern Ukraine, and huge explosions were recorded across the country.  

Global leaders have condemned Russia and pledged to stand with Ukraine – with the world now just one false move from what could become World War 3. 

UK Prime Minister announced sanctions on over 100 Russian individuals and entities, while US President Joe Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council on Ukraine. 

Mr Johnson warned of the prospect of “grim” months to come.

“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 said. 

Addressing his bloodied and bruised nation, Ukrainian president Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged his people to fight for their homes.

He added: “We will fight for our country and we will support our country in the squares of each town.”

Mr Zelenskyy added the armed forces are “ready”, Ukraine will not give up its independence, and urged people to make blood donations. 

“This is a morning which will go down in history – Russia has taken the path of evil,” he said.

“Russia has attacked our state in a cunning way like Nazi Germany did in World War 2.”

Zelenskyy said the government will provide weapons to people who want them and urged anyone with military experience to step forward.

Major General Valeriy Zaluzhny, the commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, was given orders to inflict “maximum losses” against the invading Russians. 

In a televised address, Mr Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen”.

He said Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine, and claimed responsibility for bloodshed lies with the Ukrainian “regime”.