Williams and her team heard what they thought were missile strikes just minutes after Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s military operation. They were located in Kharkiv (only 30 miles from the Russian border), according to Williams.
Putin stated Wednesday night that his government’s plans did not include an invasion. However, Russia has denied for months that any plans to invade Ukraine. It is not clear how much faith he could have.
Ukraine claimed Thursday that Russian forces were approaching the country’s borders near Kharkiv. Williams however said that there was no sign of them within the city as of Thursday afternoon.
The U.S. has stated that this crisis is not a regional dispute but about sovereignty and protecting democracy from the beginning.
Ukrainian officials said that they would distribute weapons to veterans across the country and volunteers to aid in the fight. President Volodymyr Zilensky attempted to rally his people overnight by telling them: “You’re courageous, unbroken, you’re Ukrainian.”
