Ukraine strikes back: Kyiv's troops have already shot down five Russian helicopters, destroyed dozens of tanks - and entire battalion 'surrenders because they didn't realise they had been sent to kill'

The body of a soldier, without insignia, who the Ukrainian military claim is a Russian army serviceman killed in fighting, lies on a road outside the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine

• Ukrainian forces have shot down five helicopters, destroyed dozens of tanks and captured dozens of troops
• Kyiv's military is far inferior to its Russian counterpart with an air defence system dating back to the Soviet era
• Nato and U.S. have made it clear that no troops will be sent and left Ukraine military to hold off assault alone

Ukrainian troops have shot down five Russian helicopters, destroyed dozens of tanks and captured dozens of troops in the first hours since Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to invade this morning.

Kyiv's military is far inferior to its Russian counterpart with an air defense system and air force dating back to the Soviet era.

But NATO and the US, despite deploying soldiers to neighbouring Romania in recent months, have made it clear that no troops will be sent and left the Ukrainian military to hold off the assault alone.

By Thursday afternoon, battles were ongoing in Kyiiev, along the northern border with Belarus, in Luhansk and Donetsk in the east and around Kherson, the Dneiper River, and the port cities of Odessa and Mariupol in the south.

Few expect Ukraine to emerge victorious from what is almost certain to be a prolonged, bloody, and vicious war - but so far, Kyiv's forces have managed to inflict heavy losses on Putin's troops.

Here MailOnline takes a look at what losses Ukrainian forces have inflicted on Russia:

Few expect Ukraine to emerge victorious from what is almost certain to be a prolonged, bloody, and vicious war

At least 15 T-72 tanks were destroyed or damaged by the Ukrainian forces using the Javelin PTRK, an American anti-tank missile, nearly Glukhov in the country's east late this afternoon

Ukrainian forces have claimed to have shot out of the air at least four Russian KA-52 Alligator attack helicopters during a battle for Gostomel air base. A fifth helicopter (pictured) was forced to make an emergency landing at the field under heavy fire

An image captured near Kyiv shows what appears to be the wreckage of a downed Russian attack helicopter with a soldier parachuting out of it (to the left of the frame)

The attack has come to Ukraine on all fronts with bombs and missiles dropped on targets across the country in the early hours, followed by troop attacks from Crimea, the Donbass, Belgorod and Belarus as well as helicopter landings in Kyiv and at power plants on the Dnieper River. Chernobyl nuclear power plant has also fallen to Russian forces

Rattled Zelensky ready to talk terms with Putin for 'neutral status'

Helicopters, jets and planes

Earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian forces claimed to have shot out of the air up to four Russian KA-52 Alligator attack helicopters during a battle for Gostomel air base.

A fifth helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing at the field under heavy fire.

Just after midday on Thursday, the skies over Kyiv swarmed with a squadron of 20 Russian helicopters which pounded the air base's runway.

But Ukrainian ground forces launched a fight-back, moving in to retake the air field as jets streaking over the city, shooting down the Russian...

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