Mitch McConnell has urged Biden to 'ratchet the sanctions all the way up' against Russia after its attack on Ukraine

• Mitch McConnell urged Biden to "ratchet the sanctions all the way up" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• "Every single available tough sanction should be employed and should be employed now," he said.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday advised President Joe Biden to hold nothing back when imposing sanctions on Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine.

"We're all together at this point, and we need to be together about what should be done," McConnell said.

"Ratchet the sanctions all the way up. Don't hold any back," he added. "Every single available tough sanction should be employed and should be employed now."

According to The Hill, McConnell was speaking to reporters after roundtable briefings on the opioid and substance abuse epidemic.

He was also asked about former President Donald Trump's praise for Russian leader Vladimir Putin but avoided answering the question, the outlet reported.

"Look, I just told you how I feel about the Russians. Vladimir Putin is a bad guy. He's an authoritarian. He yearns for an empire, and we need to do everything we can to stop it," McConnell said.

Biden on Thursday announced a fresh raft of sanctions on Russia, this time targeting four major banks in the country along with Russian elites. "Every asset they have in America will be frozen," he said of the sanctions, which build on previous economic penalties imposed by the US.

Some Ukrainian officials, along with several Baltic states in the NATO alliance, have called for Russia to be cut off from Swift, or the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. Launched in 1973, Swift serves as a neutral platform for banks to communicate regarding transfers, transactions, and trades.

Russia's conflict with Ukraine has escalated dramatically in recent weeks, with as many as 190,000 Russian troops assembling around Ukraine's borders.

On Monday, Putin recognized the claims to independence of eastern Ukraine's separatist Luhansk and Donetsk regions, ordering troops there for what he described as a limited peacekeeping operation.

Less than 72 hours later, the Russian president authorized a full-scale attack on Ukraine. In the hours that followed, explosions were seen and heard in cities around Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have also reported fighting on its borders with Russia and dozens of casualties.

Just over 24 hours into the Russian invasion, large explosions were also heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Insider's live blog of the invasion is covering developments as they happen.