Ukrainian Military Plane With 14 People On Board Crashes Near Kyiv: Report

Russia Ukraine Crisis: Russian forces launched a major military assault on Ukraine, with reports of missile strikes and explosions in major cities.

Russian forces launched a major military assault on Ukraine on Thursday (AP)

New Delhi: An Ukrainian military plane with 14 people aboard crashed near Kyiv on Thursday as Russian forces launched a major military offensive on the east European country, AFP reported.

The emergencies service said it was "still determining how many people died". The incident occurred about 20 kilometres south of Kyiv, amid reports of several locations around the city coming under attack.

Russian air strikes hit military facilities across the country as ground forces crossed into Ukraine from several directions.

AFP quoted Ukrainian official sources as saying that at least 68 people were killed, including both soldiers and civilians, due to heavy bombardments.

In the deadliest single strike, 18 people were killed at a military base near Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Odessa.

READ | Ukraine Says More Than 40 Soldiers Killed, Breaks Diplomatic Ties With Russia

The Russian Defence Ministry, in a statement, said it had neutralised Ukraine's air defences and air bases in a series of precision attacks. However, Ukraine has issued a statement, saying that Russia's claim of having "neutralised" its air defences was false.

Ukraine also claimed that it had downed five Russian planes and a helicopter in the east of the country near a rebel-held enclave.

In a televised address, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said the nation has cut all diplomatic relations with Russia. Zelensky said the government was "distributing weapons" to every one willing to defend Ukraine's sovereignty. He called on "all able-bodied persons" to report for duty at the mobilisation centres.