Ukraine's president to his country as Russia attacks: 'Stay calm, stay at home, the army is doing its work'

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his country to stay calm as Russia launches attacks on the country.
• "Stay calm, stay at home, the army is doing its work," he said during an address to the country early Thursday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his country to stay calm as Russia launches attacks on the country.

"Stay calm, stay at home, the army is doing its work," he said during an address to the country early Thursday.

He continued: "Don't panic. We are strong. We are ready for everything. We will defeat everyone. Because we are Ukraine."

Zelensky declared martial law in Ukraine after Russia launched a round of attacks on multiple major cities.

Blasts were heard from Kyiv, the capital, to the eastern city of Kharkiv — missile strikes, the Ukrainian interior ministry told CNN — with reports of outgoing artillery fire from Russian forces across the border.

In a surprise speech on early Thursday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military action" against Ukraine, effectively declaring war. Putin said Russian forces would seek the "demilitarization" and "de-Nazification" of Ukraine, though Zelensky is Jewish.

Zelensky had the night before made a last-ditch call to Russia's citizens for peace, but said that Ukraine and its people "will fight back" if under attack.

Since Putin's announcement, Russian tanks have crossed the border from Belarus and occupied Crimea into Ukraine, according to reports citing the Ukraine Interior Ministry. Ukrainian authorities said that hundreds of casualties had been inflicted as of Thursday.