Football in Ukraine suspended and Shakhtar Donetsk squad 'locked in a hotel'

The Ukrainian Premier League was meant to restart on Friday after its winter break but it was confirmed by the league that the start will be delayed with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky introducing martial law overnight.

There are also huge doubts about Scotland's World Cup play-off match against Ukraine in Glasgow, which is due to take place on March 24.

The British government has also stated the venue of this season's Champions League final, due to be played in St Petersburg on May 28, should be changed.

Meanwhile, Gianluca Di Marzio reports that the Shakhtar Donetsk squad are currently 'locked in a hotel' while they try to figure out what the best course of action is.

Mr Zelensky called on Ukrainian nationals to volunteer for the resistance effort, saying: "We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country. Be ready to support Ukraine in the squares of our cities.

"We will lift sanctions on all citizens of Ukraine who are ready to defend our country as part of territorial defence with weapons in hands.

"We have severed diplomatic relations with Russia. For all those who have not yet lost their conscience in Russia, it is time to go out and protest against the war with Ukraine."

Russia said it has only targeted Ukrainian air bases and other military assets, not populated areas.

But in a televised address, Mr Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to "consequences they have never seen".

He said Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine, and claimed responsibility for bloodshed lies with the Ukrainian "regime".

Explosions could be heard in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, shortly after Mr Putin's address, while explosions were also reported in the cities of Odessa and Kharkiv.

Elsewhere, footage appeared to show queues of people fleeing their homes, and Russian military crossing the border into Ukraine.

Mr Putin said the action was a response to threats from Ukraine.

And in a warning to the international community during his address on Russian television, he said: "Whoever tries to impede us, let alone create threats for our country and its people, must know that the Russian response will be immediate and lead to the consequences you have never seen in history."

Prime minister Boris Johnson said Putin's invasion of Ukraine is a 'catastrophe for our continent', as he called on world leaders to meet and plan a response.

The Prime Minister tweeted his remarks after chairing an urgent Cobra emergency committee meeting on Thursday morning. He is due to address the nation later, and speak in the Commons on Thursday evening.

The Prime Minister said: "This is a catastrophe for our continent.

"I will make an address to the nation this morning on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"I will also speak to fellow G7 leaders and I am calling for an urgent meeting of all NATO leaders as soon as possible."