Ukrainian expats in Lebanon on Thursday staged a sit-in outside the Russian Embassy in Beirut to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which began at dawn.

“Stop Russian Aggression”, “No Putin No War” and “Putin is the Hitler of the 21st Century” read some of the English- and Arabic-language banners that were carried by the protesters.

President Michel Aoun stressed Thursday Lebanon's keenness on the implementation of U.N. resolution 1701, during a farewell meeting with UNIFIL Force Commander General Stefano Del Col.

"Lebanon adheres to its rights and to its full sovereignty by land, sea and air," Aoun said, urging the United Nations to pressure Israel to stop its "repeated violations of Lebanon's sovereignty."

Lebanese students and citizens in Ukraine are urging the Lebanese embassy and authorities to return them home due to the Russian invasion of the country that started at dawn Thursday.

A Lebanese student in Kyiv told al-Jadeed TV in a phone interview that the Lebanese students in the city have gathered in “safe houses.”

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said that Hizbullah "has never been as strong as it is today."

Nasrallah stated, in an interview with al-Manar TV, that "if Israel starts a war on Lebanon, then it will see all our strength.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an air and ground assault on Ukraine on Thursday, forcing residents to flee for their lives and leaving at least 40 Ukrainian soldiers dead.

Weeks of intense diplomacy and the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia failed to deter Putin, who had massed more than 150,000 troops along the borders of Ukraine.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement Secretary-General Ahmed Hariri on Wednesday commented on ex-PM Fouad Saniora’s press conference without mentioning him.

“Only your stance represents me,” Ahmed Hariri wrote in a tweet accompanied by a photo of al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri.

Ex-PM Fouad Saniora on Wednesday called on the Sunni community in Lebanon to take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections, despite ex-PM Saad Hariri’s decision to boycott the vote along with his al-Mustaqbal Movement.

At a press conference, Saniora stressed the importance of “engaging in the elections by all Lebanese, especially Sunni Muslims who believe in Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday denied accusations that he has given up Lebanon’s rights in the maritime border talks with Israel.

“Everything that is being said about giving up Lebanon’s sea border rights is baseless, because those talking do not know what was said in the negotiations,” Aoun said.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Tuesday said that the upcoming parliamentary elections will be a “political war of liberation,” after a top Hizbullah official suggested that the vote will be a “political July War” against Hizbullah.

Commenting on Sayyed Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed’s claim that rivals and foes “want (to end) our arms and resistance so that the upper hand in our country goes to Israel and America,” Geagea said the Lebanese “want legitimate arms and a state, so that the upper hand in our country be for the Lebanese.”

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col on Tuesday inaugurated a photographic exhibition in the Lebanese capital, highlighting a "unique momentum" to "collectively build on the existing stability in south Lebanon and move forward," UNIFIL said.

Opening the exhibition of more than 60 photographs, including some historic maps, Major General Del Col said these photographs tell the story of the long journey UNIFIL and Lebanese populations have made together in the last 44 years.