The first sign an invasion was imminent came at just before 12am Ukrainian time when Moscow-backed rebels issued a request for military assistance from Russia. Moments later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a defiant message to the nation, vowing his countrymen would 'fight back' in the event of an invasion, telling Moscow: 'When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs.' A frenzied string of diplomatic manoeuvres, including an emergency UN Security Council meeting in New York, were not enough to dissuade Putin, who declared a 'special military operation' at around 3am Ukraine time.