TBILISI, Georgia 

Amid ongoing Russian military invention, a pro-Ukraine rally was held on Thursday in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi.

Demonstrators, carrying Ukrainian, Georgian and US flags, gathered in the Republic Square and marched towards the Freedom Square.

The demonstrators chanted anti-Russian slogans and sang Georgian and Ukrainian national anthems to protest Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.

Besides Tbilisi, protesters rallied in other Georgian cities to voice solidarity with Ukrainians.

On early Thursday, Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine in response to a request from leaders of self-reclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in the country's east.

Putin officially recognized Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states earlier this week.

The Russian leader said the operation aims to protect people “subjected to genocide” by Kyiv and to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine, while calling on the Ukrainian army to lay down its arms.