Thousands of people across the world are watching live footage from above Kyiv after Russia launched a ‘full-scale invasion’ of Ukraine.
Within moments of Russian President Vladamir Putin making an early morning address, explosions could be heard in several areas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly announced Martial Law across his county and said they would “defeat everyone”.
There has since been multiple explosions from missile strikes which have hit cities including capital Kyiv and Odessa. Dozens of people are feared dead and many more injured.
Video shows cars of people fleeing Kyiv, as others - including RTE journalist Tony Connelly - sheltered in basements to the sound of distant explosions.
Watch live footage from above Kyiv below
The invasion is being condemned by world leaders.
Taoieach Micheal Martin said: "I utterly condemn Russia’s indefensible attack on the sovereign people of Ukraine.
"Our first thoughts are with them. We will work with the EU and UN to hold Putin and his regime accountable.
"Russia will pay a high price for this outrageous act of aggression.
"We stand with Ukraine."
READ MORE: Get the latest updates on Russia's invasion of Ukraine in our live blog
The Department of Foreign Affairs has advised Irish citizens still in Ukraine to "shelter" for now.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney told Morning Ireland: "We are in complete solidarity with Ukraine. This is an illegal act of aggression from Russia. They are lying about the justification for it.
"It's an attack on Ukraine and an attack on the kind of Europe that we, collectively, have built since World War Two
"You will see the EU working with other countries to take a strong stance now. The emergency leaders meeting will bring much tougher sanctions, I believe. It will send a very clear signal: We cannot accept this."
Mr Coveney added that there had been multiple attempts to negotiate with President Putin in the build up to this week's events, but these had been to no avail.
He noted: "Russia has decided to ignore all that and proceed with what seems to have been planned for a long time. We are not going to go to war with Russia, militarily. Sanctions will be tough, and the EU will suffer from counter-sanctions.
"What President Putin has done and said is not only to start a war with Ukraine with a broad invasion, he has also warned and threatened any country that intervenes. We are seeing a language that we haven't seen in many decades in Europe of aggression and brutality.
"This is a moment when the European Union needs to act together. We need extraordinary unity. Yes, Ireland is a neutral country militarily, but we are not neutral on this, when there is blatant aggression on the continent."
