Russia's invasion of Ukraine is aimed at capturing the capital Kyiv and removing the country's leadership, with troops advancing on three fronts backed up by aerial bombardment, a US defense official said Thursday.

The Russian military opened its attack with around 100 missile launches in the first two hours, mainly targeting military infrastructure facilities, as well as sorties by 75 heavy and medium bombers, the official said.

The initial phase is focused on key cities, and the Pentagon expects the Russians to move on Kyiv, according to the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"They have every intention of basically decapitating the government and installing their own means of governance," the official said.

They said Russian troops had crossed the border on the ground but gave no estimate on numbers.

"What we're seeing are initial phases of a large scale invasion," the official said.

"We haven't seen a conventional move like this, nation state to nation state, since World War II, certainly nothing on this size and scope and scale."

The offensive has prompted Washington to reposition several thousand troops to Europe, although President Joe Biden said Thursday that while the United States vowed to defend "every inch" of NATO territory, no American forces will fight Russians in Ukraine.

Russia's invasion began on three axes aimed at seizing population centers.

The first involves troops entering from Russian-controlled Crimea toward the city of Kherson in the south.

The second is an incursion from Belarus into north-central Ukraine, toward Kyiv.

That includes an assault backed by attack helicopters on the airport at Gostomel, on the northern outskirts of the capital.

Russian airborne troops seized control of the Gostomel airfield after hours of fighting, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed that they would be encircled and crushed.

The airport, military analysts say, could become a key staging point for the Russians, to fly in more troops in preparation for a siege on Kyiv.

"If Moscow can hold onto it, and continue to achieve air superiority (the latter is very likely), it will most certainly use the airport as an entry point to attack Kyiv," said Michael Horowitz, a security analysts at consultant Le Beck International, in a tweet.

- 'Fighting back' -

The third front is in the northeast, marked by a push from Russia near Belgorod aimed at the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

"The heaviest fighting we've seen so far is in Kharkiv," the official said.

The opening phase was led by a barrage of short and medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles, launched both from the ground and from Russian ships in the Black Sea.

Those, along with bomb attacks by aircraft, focused on airfields, barracks and ammunition depots.

So far, however, the Russians have not entered western Ukraine, and there have been "no indications" of an amphibious assault in the south from the Black Sea, despite reports of such an attack, the official said.

They have targeted the Ukraine military's command and control facilities but not public communications, which the official said "are still active."

There were no initial estimates of the damages to Ukraine's military.

"We have seen indications that they are resisting and fighting back," the official said.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced the United States was sending 7,000 more troops to Europe.

"They will deploy to Germany to reassure NATO Allies, deter Russian aggression and be prepared to support a range of requirements in the region," a Pentagon official said, adding they are expected to depart "in the coming days."

The 7,000 brings the number of soldiers sent from the United States to Europe to 12,000.

'Unprovoked and unjustified:' world reacts to attack on Ukraine
Paris (AFP) Feb 24, 2022 - World leaders on Thursday condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Western capitals vowing to escalate sanctions against Moscow while the head of the United Nations demanded the conflict end immediately.

Key reactions:

- US President Joe Biden -

"The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces," Biden said shortly after the operation began.

He warned "Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring."

"The world will hold Russia accountable," he declared.

- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky -

Zelensky compared Russia's invasion of his country to Nazi Germany's military campaigns during World War II.

"Russia has attacked Ukraine in a cowardly and suicidal way, like Nazi Germany did during World War II," Zelensky said in an online briefing.

- China -

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone call that China understands "Russia's reasonable concerns on security issues", China's foreign ministry said.

The foreign ministry repeatedly declined to call the attack an "invasion" at a press briefing on Thursday.

- UN chief Antonio Guterres -

Guterres made a direct and personal plea to Russian President Vladimir Putin after an emergency Security Council session, urging him to stop the attack "in the name of humanity."

"Do not allow to start in Europe what could be the worst war since the beginning of the century," he said.

"The conflict must stop now," added the UN chief, who said it was the "saddest day" of his tenure.

- NATO head Jens Stoltenberg -

The Atlantic alliance's secretary general said Russia had "chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country."

The attack "puts at risk countless civilian lives," Stoltenberg said in a statement, describing it as a "grave breach of international law, and a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security."

NATO ambassadors were to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the attack.

- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson -

"I am appalled by the horrific events in Ukraine and I have spoken to President Zelensky to discuss next steps," the British leader tweeted.

In an address to the nation, Johnson later called Putin a "dictator" facing "massive" sanctions for his "attack on democracy and freedom in east Europe and around the world."

- EU chiefs -

"In these dark hours, our thoughts are with Ukraine and the innocent women, men and children as they face this unprovoked attack and fear for their lives," European Union chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel said on Twitter.

"We will hold the Kremlin accountable," they added.

Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Russia faced "unprecedented isolation" and would face the "harshest sanctions" the EU has ever imposed.

"This is not a question of blocs. This is not a question of diplomatic power games. It's a matter of life and death," he said.

- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz -

The German leader lashed out at an "unscrupulous act" and spoke to Zelensky to express his country's "full solidarity."

Putin is "endangering the lives of countless innocent people in Ukraine... (and) jeopardising peace in our continent," Scholz said.

- French President Emmanuel Macron -

Macron said Russia's "act of war" was a "turning point in the history of Europe" with "deep and lasting consequences for our lives" in an address to the nation.

He said the G7, NATO and the European Union would be "without weakness" when they meet to agree sanctions later on Thursday, after Moscow inflicted "the most significant damage on peace and stability in Europe for decades."

- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau -

Trudeau condemned Russia's "egregious" and "unprovoked" attack on Ukraine as "a clear further violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and of Russia's obligations under international law.

"These reckless and dangerous acts will not go unpunished," he said in a statement.

- OSCE -

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, of which Russia is a member, denounced the move in a statement.

It said the attack "puts the lives of millions of people at grave risk and is a gross breach of international law and Russia's commitments."

- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida -

"The latest Russian invasion shakes the foundation of the international order, which does not permit unilateral attempts to change the status quo," Japan's leader said after a meeting of his national security council.

- Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi -

The leader of G7 member Italy's government called Russia's invasion "unjustified and unjustifiable."

"Italy is close to the Ukrainian people and institutions in this dramatic moment," Draghi said in a statement.

- Turkey -

Turkey, a NATO member with friendly ties with Ukraine and Russia, said the invasion was "unjust and unlawful" in a foreign ministry statement.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Moscow's move as a "heavy blow" to regional peace and stability.

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Freeze or full invasion? Scenarios for Russia in Ukraine
Paris (AFP) Feb 22, 2022
President Vladimir Putin's announcement that Russia is recognising two eastern Ukrainian breakaway regions and ordering troops to the area has left analysts guessing over whether the Kremlin is preparing an even deeper incursion. Commentators are divided over Russia's future strategy for Ukraine, with some believing a large-scale invasion is still on the cards while others expect Putin to stick with the new status quo, at least for now. In an incandescent address that the French presidency said ... read more