Europe's major stock markets attempted to rebound Friday, one day after slumping as Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine. 

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index of leading blue-chip companies advanced 1.3 percent shortly after the open. 

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX won 0.4 percent and the Paris CAC 40 gained 0.7 percent, shedding some of their initial gains. 

Asian equities also bounced back as investors took their lead from a rally on Wall Street after Washington decided against imposing the stiffest sanctions on Russia. 

"Traders have assessed the current risk and sanctions imposed on Russia," AvaTrade analyst Naeem Aslam told AFP. "They believe that... the selloff is an opportunity to bag some bargains."

"Hence stocks are moving higher," the analyst added. 

Europe's key indices had each tumbled by about four percent on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized troops to carry out a "special military operation" in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, while oil prices had rocketed past $100 for the first time since 2014. 

(With input from AFP)