Global financial markets suffered massive losses in the first hours of trading Thursday, affected by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of the launching of special military operations, under the guise of protecting the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, with strikes on other cities and regions of the country.

European shares fell at the beginning of Thursday's trading, as the FTSE 100 index fell by 2.5 percent in London, while the French CAC 40 index fell by 4 percent, and the German DAX 30 index fell by 4 percent, according to CNN.

Russian stocks collapsed, as the country's main index fell by 45 percent, and the Russian currency reached a record low of 90 (rubles) against the US dollar.

In the Asian markets, the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong fell by 3.2 percent, which is its largest daily loss in five months. The Korean Kospi index fell by 2.6 percent, while the Japanese Nikkei 225 index lost 1.8 percent, and the Chinese Shanghai Composite Index fell by 1.7 percent.