Mumbai, February 24: With Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing a special "military operation" in eastern Ukraine, equity indices opened in red on Thursday with the Sensex down by 1432.50 points and Nifty down by 410.70 points.

The 30-scrip BSE Sensex was down by 1432.50 points or 2.50 per cent at 55,799.56 at 9.15 am.

Similarly, 50-scrip NSE Nifty was trading at 16652.60 at 9.15 am, down by 410.70 points or 2.41 per cent. Sensex Falls Over 1,400 Points in Early Trade, Nifty Slips Below 17,000.

On the Sensex, the sectors trading on a positive bias were consumer durables and consumer discretionary goods and services among others.

Earlier today, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special "military operation" to protect Donbas, the separatist-held region in eastern Ukraine.

Delivering an emergency address, Putin said the operation has been launched to demilitarize the country.

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)