Here’s how global equities reacted to Russia-Ukraine crisis:

Russian stocks crash 50%

Russian stocks nosedived 50% today as trading resumed on Moscow Stock Exchange after a two-hour suspension amid the Ukraine crisis. The exchange had suspended stock trading after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military operations in two of Ukraine's eastern regions. The local market was closed on Wednesday on eve of Defender of the Fatherland Day 2022.

The RTS Index, a free-float capitalisation-weighted index of 50 Russian stocks trading on the Moscow Exchange, declined as much as 49.3% to hit a 52-week low of 610.33. The exchange's volatility (fear) index spiked to 35.10%, indicating that the market is prepared to see even higher volatility.

The sharp sell-off in Russian stocks was attributed to slew of sanctions imposed against Russia, which mainly targeted Russian banks, its debt markets and rich Russian individuals.

Singapore, Hong Kong lead Asian market fall

Shares in the Asia-Pacific region and in European market witnessed surge in selling activities today as Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russia-Ukraine tensions have rattled global equities as concerns about geopolitical tensions prompted investors to shift focus to safer assets such as dollar and gold.

In the Asia-Pacific region, all major markets ended in red, led by Singapore’s Straits Times Index, which crashed 3.45%. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong dived 3.2%, while Australia’s ASX 200 index dropped 2%.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 ended 1.8% lower, while South Korea’s KOSPI slumped 2.6%.

In mainland China, the Shenzhen Component and the Shanghai Composite shed 2.2% and 1.7%, respectively.

European stocks follow Wall Street lower

European stocks opened sharply lower today, following negative finish at Wall Street overnight, as tensions in Eastern Europe weighed on investors’ sentiment.

Germany’s DAX plunged 3.8% in early deals, while France’s CAC index dropped 3.4%. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index shed 2.5%, while Spain’s IBEX index slipped 3.3% in early deals.

In the overnight trade, all three major indices closed lower on Wall Street as Ukraine declared a state of emergency amid fear of invasion by Russia. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was the worst performer with a 2.57% loss. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.4% and the S&P 500 lost 1.8%.

Russian stocks

Sensex, Nifty crash 5% on Ukraine crisis; Russian stocks dive 50%