Russian troops have moved into the two rebel-held regions in eastern Ukraine, after the regions had been recognised as independent states.
On Tuesday morning, February 22, Russian tanks, trucks and troops were seen entering Donetsk and Luhansk as ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A column of armoured vehicles was spotted in Donetsk, the main city of one of the two so-called ‘republics’, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
At the same time, Ukraine said heavy shelling broke out along nearly all 250 miles of its frontline with the breakaway provinces, leaving two of its soldiers dead and 12 injured in a major escalation in violence.
On Monday night the UK prime minister Boris Johnson initiated a COBRA emergency committee, while the US, France and Ukraine have also initiated emergency security meetings.
Late Monday night, Ukraine asked for an emergency United Nations security council meeting over Russia’s actions.
Before Putin’s order, world leaders including Joe Biden and Boris Johnson had made it clear that any Russian incursion, no matter how limited, into Ukrainian territory would be considered a fresh invasion and spark an unprecedented flurry of sanctions.
Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, gave a 2 a.m. address to the nation in which he vowed to resist Russia’s attempts to break up the country, declaring: ”We are not afraid of anyone or anything. We don’t owe anyone anything. And we won’t give anything to anyone.”
In an hour-long speech to the Russian nation before signing his order, Putin seemed to be laying out a case for attacking the whole of Ukraine – arguing it has no history of statehood, was ‘created by Lenin’, is a corrupt US and NATO vassal, and has been directly threatening Russia’s security.
Read also: Tension mounts over Russia’s Possible Invasion of Ukraine
Putin vowed ‘bloodshed’ if Ukraine’s troops try to resist him and that ‘all responsibility… will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling Ukraine’, while also accusing the West of trying to ‘destroy’ Russia.
Putin has 190,000 troops backed by hundreds of tanks, artillery pieces, fighter jets, heavy bombers and missile batteries encircling Ukraine from three sides – including just a few dozen miles north of the capital, Kiev.
US to impose sanctions against Russia
The United States is coordinating with allies and will announce new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday after Moscow recognized two breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent and sent “peacekeeping” forces there, U.S. officials said on Monday.
“Tomorrow, the United States will impose sanctions on Russia for this clear violation of international law and Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told reporters after a U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday evening.
President Joe Biden issued an executive order that White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said would “prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine,” referring to the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic.
Russia invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014.
