Roads in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv were jammed as locals scrambled to flee following missile attacks by Russia.

Video shows a long queue of cars snaking along the Zhytomyr Highway on their way out of Kyiv at on Thursday morning February 24.

Explosions had been reported in the cities of Mariupol, Kharkiv, Sumy, and the country’s capital Kyiv as well as other cities close to the border. At least 40 people are believed to have died while dozens more were wounded.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine’s Donbas region. He said in a public address on Thursday: ‘We decided to launch a special military action aimed at demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine.’

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for peace, but added that Ukraine will defend itself from any invasion attempts. He said: ‘If they attack, if they try to take our county – our freedom, our lives, the lives of our children – we will be defending ourselves.’

Ukraine said it had killed 'around 50 Russian occupiers' while losing 40 Ukrainian soldiers and 10 civilians in the bombardment.