Ukraine is officially cutting diplomatic ties with Russia, Ukraine's president announced Thursday, hours after Russia launched an attack.
Volodymyr Zelensky announced the decision at a press conference on Thursday.
Ukraine's foreign ministry said: "Our country took this step in response to acts of military aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the invasion of Russian Armed Forces to destroy the Ukrainian state and the seizure by force of Ukrainian territories with the intent of establishing occupation control."
Ukraine is evacuating its embassy in Moscow and also recalled its chargé d'affaires in Russia, the ministry said.
However, Ukraine is keeping its consular functions and will "continue to defend the rights and interests of Ukrainians in Russia, including Ukrainian political prisoners," it added.
Russia launched an attack on Ukraine on Thursday morning, in what Ukraine's foreign ministry called a "full-scale invasion."
The ministry said Russia was attacking multiple Ukrainian cities "from different directions."