A siren has been heard in the Polish town of Medyka, which acts as a border crossing between Poland and Ukraine.
The siren sounded today, February 24, after Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a 'special military operation' in Ukraine, which shares a border with the south-east of Poland.
Casualties and fatalities have been reported in Ukraine as Russia launched missiles on the country, while residents were encouraged to take shelter by the sound of sirens wailing across the capital city of Kyiv.
Witnesses in Medyka also reported hearing a siren, according to Reuters, though it is unclear exactly why the siren sounded. As the situation continues to unfold, the Polish foreign ministry urged any Polish citizens in Ukraine to get out of the country.
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In a statement cited by the National Post, the ministry said: 'Due to the military operations in Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against any travel to Ukraine. Polish citizens staying in Ukraine should leave its territory immediately.'
A Polish government spokesperson has assured Polish diplomatic missions in Ukraine would remain open for 'as long as possible', while Polish President Andrzej Duda called on Russia to halt military operations and '[leave] Ukraine alone'.
Speaking after a meeting of Poland’s National Security Council, Duda added: 'I will do everything so that what is happening in Ukraine can be stopped as soon as possible'.
Poland has been preparing for the last few days for a potential influx of refugees amid a Russian invasion in Ukraine, with deputy interior minister Maciej Wąsik telling Polish radio the country has to 'be prepared for a wave of up to a million people.'
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The government in Poland, which is already home to about two million Ukrainians, has said it is planning to house Ukrainian refugees in hostels, dormitories and sports facilities, The Guardian reports.
The first strikes hit Ukraine around 5.00am local time, when Russia targeted Ukraine's military infrastructure and border guard units, according to Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainian forces later said Russian military vehicles had crossed the border near Kharkiv in the north, Luhansk in the east, Crimea in the south and Belarus in the north.
Russian tanks were also seen on the outskirts of Kharkiv, which is one of the largest cities in Ukraine, while forces reportedly landed by sea at Ukraine's port cities of Odesa on the Black Sea and Mariupol on the internal Sea of Azov.
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Topics: Politics, Ukraine, Russia, Vladimir Putin, World News
