Vladimir Putin and Russia have launched attacks on Ukraine and begun to invade, and one of the major game developers from the country has released a statement. GSC Game World, which makes the Stalker video games, said this morning that Ukraine will fight to defend itself and persevere through this trying time.

　　"As of today, the Russian Federation has officially declared war on Ukraine. Our country woke up to the sounds of explosions and weapons fire, but is ready to defend its freedom and independence," it said. "For it remains strong and ready for anything. The future is unknown, but we hope for the best, are ever sure of our armed forces and our belief in Ukraine."

　　pic.twitter.com/hYyEWgw7Q9

　　— GSC Game World (@GSC_GW) February 24, 2022

　　GSC encouraged game developers and fans to share its message in their news feed, calling on them "not stand aside and help those in need."

　　"Through pain, death, war, fear, and inhuman cruelty, Ukraine will persevere. As it always does," the studio said. The developer is planning to release Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl later this year.

　　GSC Game World is headquartered in Kyiv, and many there are attempting to get out of the city and heading west seeking safety and refuge. Dozens of Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in their defense of the country, The New York Times reported.

　　As Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, lines of cars moved out of the capital, Kyiv, many heading west and hoping to find safety in parts of the country closer to Poland and NATO troops.

　　Follow live updates. https://t.co/PAz9fDpKyG pic.twitter.com/mvwKd3n4zw

　　— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 24, 2022

　　GSC Game World is not the only Ukrainian video game developer, as Metro studio 4A Games was based in the country before moving its headquarters to Malta. Ubisoft and Wargaming have studios in Ukraine. The local game development scene has been growing in the past decade, and now it's believed the Ukrainian game development community employs thousands of people.

　　I don’t think people quite understand how much the Ukrainian game dev scene has grown in the past ten years. These slides are taken from a 2018 report, too - the number of studios has only grown since then. https://t.co/8ofNLdw0iQ pic.twitter.com/kwsfLiMU59

　　— James B. Jones (@TheJamesBJones) February 24, 2022

　　US President Joe Biden has condemned the attacks and has promised to "hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine."