A Ukrainian lawmaker broke down in tears and begged the world to 'save our people' from being 'murdered' by Russian forces

• A Ukrainian lawmaker broke down in tears during an interview with CBS News on Thursday.
• Halyna Yanchenko urged the world to "save our people" from being "murdered" by Russian forces.

A Ukrainian lawmaker broke down in tears during an interview with CBS News and begged the international community to "save our people" from being "murdered" by Russian forces.

"I beg you, please save our people. Dozens of people — maybe hundreds of people — might be murdered tonight," Member of Parliament Halyna Yanchenko said as she sobbed during an interview with CBS News on Thursday.

She added: "Please save Ukrainian men, women, and children."

Yanchenko's interview came after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to attack Ukraine early on Thursday morning.

Dozens of Ukrainians have reportedly been killed in the fighting so far as Russian military forces launched airstrikes and stormed across the border to engage the Ukrainian military.