Russia-Ukraine updates: US to ban Russian carriers from its airspace

Senators on both sides of the aisle are calling on the administration to turn up the pressure on Russia following its attack on Ukraine.

"President Biden has already imposed an initial tranche of sanctions, and it is now time for us to up the pain level for the Russian government," Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a statement.

"I urge the Biden administration to respond swiftly and in concert with our allies to impose crushing economic sanctions on Kremlin officials, Russian entities and other actors involved int his attack on Ukraine," Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said.

"America and our allies must answer the call to protect freedom by subjecting Putin and Russia to the harshest economic penalties, by expelling them from global institutions, and by committing ourselves to the expansion and modernization of our national defense," Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said.

While a handful of Republicans knocked the administration for not imposing pre-invasion sanctions, those jabs are largely being overwhelmed by calls for unity among NATO allies.

"There is no justification for this assault and I call for the administration to lead the world in a unified response," Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman said.

-ABC News' Allie Pecorin

There are reports that Russian troops have now crossed the border in eastern Ukraine, close to the city of Kharkiv, as explosions in the area continue.

Ukraine’s deputy interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, told media the troops crossed near Kharkiv. A former senior adviser to Ukraine’s government also confirmed the reports, saying he was informed by the president’s office, while Ukraine’s main newswire agency, UNIAN, has also reported the news. 

Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second largest city and is only about 20 miles from the border with Russia. However, it is not next to the separatist-controlled areas.

Ukrainian authorities also said that Kyiv and multiple cities east of it have been stuck by ballistic missiles. Gerashchenko said at least seven cruise missiles or ballistic missiles hit a military aerodrome near Kyiv that is home to fighter jets. It appears that the missiles have largely struck targets on the outskirts of the city so far.

Russia’s defense ministry said it is striking Ukrainian air bases, military infrastructure and air defenses across the country but said it will not target Ukrainian cities themselves.

The ministry said “high-precision” missiles are being used.

Reports of explosions also continue to come in from Odessa, Dnipro and Mariupol.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s early morning attack on Ukraine is a “full-scale invasion” and added that the world needs to respond immediately.

“Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” Kuleba tweeted. “Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes. This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”

As the late-night meeting of the U.N. Security Council came to a close amid a Russian attack on Ukraine, the Ukrainian ambassador directly addressed his Russian counterpart.

"There is no purgatory for war criminals," Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya. "They go straight to hell, ambassador."

With that, Nebenzya, the council’s current president, adjourned the meeting.

-ABC News' Conor Finnegan