13 footballers appeal for help to leave Ukraine after seeking refuge in hotel

Brazilian footballers who play in Ukraine have released a video appealing for help after Russia launched an aggressive invasion of the country.

After weeks of increasing tensions, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the green light on Thursday for what has been described as a "full-scale invasion" of Ukraine by the Eastern European country.

Russians troops have crossed the border in several places and bombing has been reported right across Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced martial law across all of Ukraine, throwing the country into a state of emergency.

Amid this backdrop, the Ukrainian Premier League has been stopped for a minimum of 30 days, leaving the players worried about their safety.

There are 35 Brazilian players in the Ukraine top flight and a group of them have grouped together and taken shelter inside a hotel inside the country's capital, Kyiv.

The group of 13, who are led by Shakhtar Donetsk defender Marlon Santos, have released a video to appeal for help from the international community.

"Here we are all gathered, Dynamo and Shakhtar players, with our families, staying here at the hotel because of the situation," Marlon said in Portuguese, as reported by ESPN.

"We are here asking for your help, due to the lack of conditions in the city, closed borders, closed airspace.

"There's no way we can get out. We ask [for] a lot of support from the government of Brazil, which can help us."

One of the wives of the players added: "We women are with our children and feeling a little abandoned. We don't know what to do, nothing [information] comes to us.

"We make an appeal to you, even for the sake of the children. Each one left the house running to come to the hotel."

Shakhtar's Twitter account has released a defiant message, simply posting, "We'll withstand it!" alongside a picture of the Ukraine flag.

In response to Russia's aggression, Ukrainian President Zelensky has severed all diplomatic relations with their neighbours and said weapons would be distributed to anyone who wanted them.

"No panic. We're strong. We're ready for anything. We'll defeat everyone, because we are Ukraine," he said.

European football's governing body, UEFA, is expected to strip Russia of the Champions League final, which was scheduled to take place in St Petersburg.

"UEFA shares the international community's significant concern for the security situation developing in Europe and strongly condemns the ongoing Russian military invasion in Ukraine," UEFA said in a statement after holding an extraordinary meeting.

"As the governing body of European football, UEFA is working tirelessly to develop and promote football according to common European values such as peace and respect for human rights, in the spirit of the Olympic Charter.

"We remain resolute in our solidarity with the football community in Ukraine and stand ready to extend our hand to the Ukrainian people."