More than 40 Ukrainian soldiers and about 10 civilians were killed in the first hours of the Russian invasion. That says an important adviser to the government in Kyiv.

In addition, several dozen soldiers are said to have been injured in the first fight.

Ukraine claims it has killed 50 Russian soldiers in the Luhansk area so far. Six Russian planes are said to have been shot down, and four Russian tanks are said to have been destroyed near Kharkiv. Russia denies the reports.

According to Ukraine, a Russian attack on the city of Shchastia in the Luhansk region has been repulsed. Ukraine’s border guards say three people were killed in the southern Kherson region, not far from Crimean.