'Glory to Ukraine': Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin slams Russia over invasion

Cryptocurrency Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin took to Twitter on Thursday and lambasted Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russia's invasion of Ukraine calling it "a crime against the Ukrainian and Russian people."

"Very upset by Putin's decision to abandon the possibility of a peaceful solution to the dispute with Ukraine and go to war instead. This is a crime against the Ukrainian and Russian people," wrote Vitalik in Russian on Twitter. 

"I want to wish everyone security, although I know that there will be no security," the Russian-Canadian crypto co-founder wrote, concluding his statement with "Glory to Ukraine". 

In another tweet, Vitalik reminded his followers that while Ethereum is neutral, he is not. "Reminder: Ethereum is neutral, but I am not," he wrote. 

On Thursday, Bitcoin last fell 3.97 per cent to $36,035.32 while Ethereum, last fell 5.96 per cent to $2,462.71.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a "military operation" in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region on Thursday, Russia launched multiple attacks on several areas in central and eastern Ukraine that attracted severe condemnation from the US and its allies.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry alleged that goal of the Russian offensive is to destroy the Ukrainian state and to seize by force the territory of the country.

It said the Russian armed forces are launching attacks on peaceful Ukrainian cities from different directions, including from the territory of Donbas and Crimea.

Ukrainian police and the state emergency service have stated that one of their military planes was shot down and five people were killed, as per Reuters. 

Separately, Russia's defence ministry said it had destroyed 74 above-ground military infrastructure facilities, including 11 aerodromes, the RIA news agency reported. 

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