WASHINGTON D.C., DC — At around 10:20 p.m. eastern time Wednesday, Russia began shelling areas in Ukraine, after several weeks of rising tensions and international mediation.
Thousands of people in Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, are attempting to flee as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declares martial law.
As of now, 40 soldiers have been killed and dozens have been wounded.
As news of the invasion spread, leaders at the United Nations and East Tennessee leaders alike condemned the attack.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R) was one of the first to take to social media with her reaction, calling on the Biden Administration to take action against Russia and remove the country from the SWIFT banking system, an international financial network that acts as the backbone for many financial institutions.
"The USA stands with Ukraine," she wrote on Twitter.
Representative Mark Green (R- TN 7th District) also said he was praying for the people of Ukraine on social media as reports arrived of explosions near Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
The American representative at the United Nations said Wednesday the U.S. would act quickly to sanction Russia for its aggression, and representatives of countries around the world condemned Russia's actions.
Ukrainian leaders at the United Nations also called for Russian representatives to step down from the security council.
"There is no purgatory for war criminals," the Ukrainian representatives said.
President Joe Biden also posted a statement condemning the invasion of Ukraine on social media, saying the U.S. and its allies would respond decisively.