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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has condemned the "brutal" and "unprovoked" Russian invasion of Ukraine and announced another tranche of sanctions.

A further 25 Russians, including army commanders, deputy defence ministers and mercenaries responsible for the attacks will be sanctioned as will four additional financial institutions.

"We must ensure there is a cost for this violent, unacceptable, and egregious behaviour," Mr Morrison said.

"There will be further waves of sanctions as we identify those responsible for these egregious acts, including moving on over 300 members of the Russian parliament."

The prime minister denounced "unilateral, hostile actions" by the Kremlin as he addressed reporters in Sydney hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine's Donbas region.

"The Russian government launched a brutal invasion - unprovoked - on Ukraine," he said.

"Russia has chosen war."

Mr Morrison again declined to elaborate on what technical military support Australia would engage in after ruling out troops on the ground.

"We are involved with our partners in these types of activities, but it wouldn't be appropriate for me to go into detail."

He said there has been no change in the decision to not expel the Russian ambassador.

"But you can be in no doubt about the very stern messages that have been sent to the ambassador on behalf of the Australian government," he said.

Explosions could be heard in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, and Russia's defence ministry has since said it was using "high-precision weaponry" to target military infrastructure and air defences without risking the civilian population.

There are reports of rocket attacks in the capital and military jets being targeted on the city's outskirts, with hundreds of casualties from the initial strike.

Ukraine has called the movement a full-scale invasion.

In an online video, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law and said Russia was targeting military installations across the country.

Russian troops have also reportedly been joined by Belarusian troops, with clashes along Ukraine's northern border with Belarus.

Earlier in the day, Mr Morrison formally signed off on the first tranche of sanctions against Russia.

The sanctions, aimed at Russian banks and individuals of strategic and economic importance, will become law from Friday and come into effect at the end of March.

Mr Morrison said the sanctions would send a message about the cost of Russia's aggression.

"It's important that all countries engage in these sanctions against these individuals," he said.

"It sends a very clear message. You sanction, support, benefit from this type of violence, then you will be isolated, you will be targeted."

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says Mr Putin's decision marked a grave moment for humanity and joined the government's condemnation.

"This attack is wholly unprovoked and without justification. All Australians stand with the people of Ukraine, and are united in condemnation of Russia's shameful act of aggression," he said.

"This is not just an attack on Ukraine, it is also a contemptuous attack on one of the core principles of the post-World War II order. Australia must stand united with our allies in holding Russia to account."

Russia's ambassador hit back at the sanctions, accusing Australia of being indifferent to discrimination faced by Russian speakers.

In a statement, the embassy said the decision to recognise the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on humanitarian grounds was made to "protect" civilians, including hundreds of thousands of Russian nationals.

But Mr Morrison said any suggestion from Russian ambassador Alexey Pavlovsky that Russian troops in Ukraine were peacekeepers was "offensive" to legitimate peacekeeping forces.

"They're not peacekeepers, they're invaders. That's how we see it and we'll call it out. If they don't like it, that's tough."

More than 180 Australian citizens in Ukraine have requested assistance to leave the country and an estimated 1400 Australians remain there.

with reporting from Reuters

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Russian forces have fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast, officials and media say, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.

Shortly after Putin spoke in a televised address on Russian state TV, explosions could be heard in the pre-dawn quiet of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Gunfire rattled near the capital's main airport, the Interfax news agency said, and sirens were heard over the city.

"Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

"This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now."

US President Joe Biden said his prayers were with the people of Ukraine "as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack", while promising tough sanctions in response.

"I will be meeting with the leaders of the G7, and the United States and our allies and partners will be imposing severe sanctions on Russia," Biden said in a statement.

Russia has demanded an end to NATO's eastward expansion and Putin repeated his position that Ukrainian membership of the US-led Atlantic military alliance was unacceptable.

He said he had authorised military action after Russia had been left with no choice but to defend itself against what he said were threats emanating from modern Ukraine, a democratic state of 44 million people.

"Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of modern Ukraine," Putin said. "All responsibility for bloodshed will be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine."

The full scope of the Russian military operation was not immediately clear but Putin said: "Our plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories. We are not going to impose anything by force."

Putin said he ordered Russian forces to protect the people and appealed to the Ukrainian military to lay down their arms.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and border guards, and that explosions had been heard in many cities. An official also reported non-stop cyber attacks.

Zelenskiy said that martial law had been declared. Reservists were called up on Wednesday.

Three hours after Putin gave his order, Russia's defence ministry said it had taken out military infrastructure at Ukrainian air bases and degraded its air defences, Russian media reported.

Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that military command centres in Kyiv and the city of Kharkiv in the northeast had been struck by missiles while Russian troops had landed in the southern port cities of Odessa and Mariupol.

A Reuters witness later heard three loud blasts in Mariupol.

Russian-backed separatists said they had launched an offensive on the Ukrainian-controlled town of Shchastia in the east, Russia's Interfax news agency said, and explosions also rocked the breakaway eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk.

Hours earlier, the separatists issued a plea to Moscow for help to stop alleged Ukrainian aggression - claims the United States dismissed as Russian propaganda.

Biden, who has ruled out putting US troops on the ground in Ukraine, said Putin had chosen a premeditated war that would bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.

"Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way," he said.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg condemned Russia's "reckless and unprovoked attack" and said NATO allies would meet to tackle the consequences.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking after the Security Council meeting, made a last-minute plea to Putin to stop the war "in the name of humanity'.

Ukraine closed its airspace to civilian flights citing a high risk to safety, while Europe's aviation regulator warned against the hazards to flying in bordering areas of Russia and Belarus.

In response to Putin's Monday announcement, Western countries and Japan imposed sanctions on Russian banks and individuals but held off their toughest measures until an invasion began.

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Russia's defence ministry says it has taken out military infrastructure at Ukraine's air bases and "suppressed" its air defences, Russian news agencies report.

The ministry denied reports that its aircraft had been downed over Ukraine. Earlier, Ukraine's military had said five Russian planes and one helicopter were shot down over its Luhansk region.

"The air defence assets of the Ukrainian armed forces have been suppressed," Interfax news agency quoted the ministry as saying.

"The military infrastructure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' air bases has been taken out of action.

"Information in foreign media about a Russian plane allegedly being shot down is not true."

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Russian forces have fired missiles at several Ukrainian cities and landed troops on its south coast, officials and media say, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.

Shortly after Putin spoke in a televised address on Russian state TV, explosions could be heard in the pre-dawn quiet of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Gunfire rattled near the capital's main airport, the Interfax news agency said, and sirens were heard over the city.

"Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

"This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now."

US President Joe Biden, reacting to an invasion the United States had been predicting for weeks, said his prayers were with the people of Ukraine "as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces".

Russia has demanded an end to NATO's eastward expansion and Putin repeated his position that Ukrainian membership of the U.S.-led Atlantic military alliance was unacceptable.

He said he had authorised military action after Russia had been left with no choice but to defend itself against what he said were threats emanating from modern Ukraine, a democratic state of 44 million people.

"Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of modern Ukraine," Putin said. "All responsibility for bloodshed will be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine."

The full scope of the Russian military operation was not immediately clear but Putin said: "Our plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories. We are not going to impose anything by force."

Speaking as the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting in New York, Putin said he had ordered Russian forces to protect the people and appealed to the Ukrainian military to lay down their arms.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and border guards, and that explosions had been heard in many cities.

He said that martial law had been declared and that he had spoken by telephone to Biden. Reservists were called up on Wednesday.

Media reported that military command centres in Kyiv and the city of Kharkiv in the northeast had been struck by missiles while Russian troops had landed in the southern port cities of Odessa and Mariupol.

A Reuters witness later heard three loud blasts in Mariupol.

Russian-backed separatists said they had launched an offensive on the Ukrainian-controlled town of Shchastia in the east, Russia's Interfax news agency said, and explosions also rocked the breakaway eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk.

Hours earlier, the separatists issued a plea to Moscow for help to stop alleged Ukrainian aggression - claims the United States dismissed as Russian propaganda.

Biden said Putin had chosen a premeditated war that would bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.

"Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable," he said.

While he has ruled out putting US troops on the ground in Ukraine, he said he would announce further sanctions against Russia on Thursday, in addition to financial measures imposed this week.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg strongly condemned Russia's "reckless and unprovoked attack" on Ukraine and said NATO allies would meet to tackle the consequences of Moscow's "aggressive actions".

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a last-minute plea to Putin to stop the war "in the name of humanity', after the Russian leader announced the military operation.

"President Putin, in the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia," Guterres said, speaking after the Security Council meeting.

© RAW 2022