Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a military operation in eastern Ukraine, claiming it's intended to protect civilians. Later, the Ukrainian government declared a state emergency and closed the country's airspace for civilian flights. A full-scale invasion of Ukraine opened with air and missile strikes on Ukrainian military facilities before troops and tanks rolled across the borders from the north, east and south. Heartbreaking visuals from the country have been doing the rounds on social media with everyone calling for an immediate halt on Russia's part.
Read: Russia-Ukraine War: Alia Bhatt starrer 'RRR' to Rajinikanth's '2.0,' 5 Indian movies that were shot in Ukraine
Priyanka Chopra also tried to get people's attention towards the crisis. She shared an Instagram post and urged people to assist Ukrainian citizens in this time of need. Sharing a video of people taking refuge in subways, Priyanka wrote, "The situation unfolding in Ukraine is terrifying. Innocent people living in fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones, while trying to navigate the uncertainty of the immediate future. It’s difficult to comprehend how in the modern world this could escalate to such a catastrophic point, but this is a consequential moment that will reverberate around the world. There are innocent lives living in this war zone. They are just like you and me. Here is more info at the link in my bio about how to assist the people of Ukraine (sic)."
Film personalities from Bollywood like Onir, Rahul Dholakia, Tillotama Shome, Sonu Sood were among some of the cinema personalities who condemned Russia's special military operation in Ukraine on Thursday.
Actor Sonu Sood, who shot to national limelight for helping several stranded migrant labourers return home during the first pandemic-induced lockdown, urged the Indian government to help evacuate Indian students and families from Ukraine. "There are 18000 Indian students and many families who are stuck in Ukraine, I am sure Government must be trying their best to get them back. I urge Indian Embassy to find an alternate route for their evacuation," Sood tweeted.
(With inputs from news agencies)
