World War 3 Beta Packs Russian Invasion Of

World War 3 Beta Packs

Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces says it has shot down a sixth Russian plane, this time in the Kramatorsk area.

The update follows a claim earlier Thursday that it had shot down five aircraft and a helicopter as Russian forces attacked Ukraine.

  In response, the Russian military earlier denied the claims, according to state news agency TASS.

Photos from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv are emerging of long lines of cars heading out of the city after Russias attack early Thursday morning.

Heavy traffic appears to be all moving west, away from where explosions were heard this morning, with few cars going east.

Earlier Thursday morning, CNN reporters heard explosions coming from the east of the city, in the direction of Boryspil International Airport.

Explosions have also been reported in other parts of Ukraine including Kharkiv and the port city Odessa.

Russia has attacked Ukraine in a "cunning way," acting much the same as Hitler did in the Second World War, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said in a televised address Thursday as Russian forces enter the country from three sides.

  Russia is on a "path of evil," Prime Minister Zelensky said.

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  He called for "everyone who is able" to join the military to do so and called on all veterans to come forward.

  Zelensky added that the Ukrainian military are engaged in "heavy fighting fending off attacks in Donbas in the east in the north and in the south.

"    "The enemy has sustained heavy casualties and they will be even heavier .

they came to our land," he warned.

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NATO member states Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have triggered NATO Article 4 to launch consultations within the alliance over Russias attack on Ukraine.

"The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened," Article 4 of The North Atlantic Treaty says.

According to the NATO website, consultation under Article 4 can lead to collective action among the 30 member states.

The website says Article 4 has been invoked six times previously since the alliance formed in 1949, most recently by Turkey in February 2020 after dozens of Turkish soldiers were killed by an attack by Syrian government forces in opposition-held areas of northern Syria.

Turkey has invoked Article 4 on four other occasions: once in 2015 to inform the alliance of its response to terrorist attacks in the country; twice in 2012 after a Turkish warplane was shot down in northern Syria and after Turkish civilians were killed by Syrian shelling; and in 2003 when it asked for alliance help to protect its population from any spillover from the war in neighboring Iraq.

On two of those occasions, NATO responded with military aid, sending Patriot missile batteries to protect against Syrian attacks in 2012 and sending aircraft and missile batteries to southeastern Turkey along the border with Iraq in 2003.

Poland invoked Article 4 in 2014 after previous Russian aggression in Ukraine, a meeting that resulted in further alliance efforts to stand together against any threats.

Article 4 is separate from Article 5, which is the alliance's declaration that an attack against one member is considered an attack against all.

Before the crack of dawn, just before explosions began in cities across Ukraine, Russian state television unexpectedly broadcast an address by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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   The two self-proclaimed "peoples republics" of Donetsk and Luhansk, in the breakaway Ukrainian region of Donbas, which he had officially recognized as independent less than two days before, had "turned to Russia with a request for help," he said.

To answer that call he was launching a "special military operation.

" Its purpose: to "demilitarize" and "denazifiy" Ukraine.

  Within minutes, Russian missiles began hitting targets in Ukraine.

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"Our actions are self-defense against threats," he told his fellow Russians, claiming Moscow had no plans to occupy Ukraine.

"We do not plan to impose ourselves on anyone," he insisted.

Putin described the "special military operation" in limited terms, to protect people living in Donbas who, he claimed, had been subjected to "genocide," a charge that Ukraine has strenuously denied.

But in the next breath, he lashed out more broadly: "NATO supports Ukrainian neo-Nazis .

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 our actions are self-defense against threats.

"  Then, in an extraordinary passage, he spoke directly to members of Ukraines military, at that very moment in the crosshairs of the Russian military.

Addressing them as "dear comrades," he told them they had taken an "oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people, and not to the anti-people junta that is robbing Ukraine and abuses those same people.

" "Dont follow its criminal orders!" he demanded.

"I urge you to lay down your weapons and go home.

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"  As he has done so many times before, Putin claimed Russia had no choice but to defend itself.

With a hard-edged tone in his voice, he seemed to threaten the US, Europe and NATO which, in just a few minutes, would witness his armed forces opening fire on Ukraine, something the Kremlin had consistently dismissed as western "hysterics.

"  "Whoever tries to interfere with us, and even more so, to create threats for our country, for our people, should know that Russias response will be immediate and will lead you to such consequences that you have never experienced in your history.

"We are ready for any development of events.

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All necessary decisions in this regard have been made.

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" Putin, who for years had criticized the West for ignoring his complaints about NATOs expansion toward Russias borders, was finally striking back with fury.

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 "I hope," he concluded his short address, "that I have been heard.

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" WATCH: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Russias invasion of Ukraine "brutal" and "unprovoked," while announcing new sanctions on 25 more individuals and four financial institutions.

"We denounce what are unilateral hostile actions in Ukraine.

Russia is flagrantly breaching international law and the UN Charter.

Russia has chosen war," Morrison said, speaking to reporters in a press conference Thursday.

   "Together with the international community, we are banding together in strong terms to condemn these outrageous acts in the strongest possible terms," Morrison said.

  Morrison said the new sanctions would target army commanders, deputy defense ministers and Russian mercenaries "responsible for the unprovoked and unacceptable aggression," as well as businesses that had been involved in the development and sale of military technology and weapons.

On Wednesday, Australia announced sanctions on eight members of Russias Security Council.

Morrison said there will be "further waves of sanctions" and that he was discussing with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on taking action against more than 300 members of Russian parliament.

  "We must ensure there is a cost for this violent, unacceptable and egregious behavior…there always must be a cost for such reprehensible violence.

" "This is a chilling reminder of the world that we live in, and where the threats and aggression of bullies and those who seek to intimidate others to seek their own advantage .

is a reality," Morrison said.

Morrison said there were no plans for Australia to engage in military support for Ukraine and that their military support had not been requested from the government.

"We work closely with NATO and their member states.

What we are doing is working with them in other ways," he said.

Russias attack on Ukraine Thursday ranked among the "darkest hours for Europe" in nearly 80 years, according to the European Unions foreign policy chief.

"These are among the darkest hours for Europe since the end of World War II," EU High Representative Josep Borrell told reporters.

Borrell promised "urgent assistance to Ukraine," as well as supporting evacuation efforts, including of EU staff.

EU sanctions: Speaking alongside EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Borrell said punitive measures from the 27-member bloc against Russia would be "the harshest packet of sanctions that has ever been implemented.

" Von der Leyen said she will present "massive and strategic" sanctions against Russia for approval later today.

European markets opened sharply lower on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military operation in Ukraine.

In the opening minutes of trade the FTSE 100 fell 2.

5%, the French CAC 40 dropped 4% and Germanys Dax was 4% lower.

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Earlier, Asian markets and US stock futures plunged on Thursday as news of the military action emerged.

Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index declined 3%.

Koreas Kospi dropped 2.

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Japans Nikkei 225 lost nearly 2% after coming back from a holiday.

Chinas Shanghai Composite moved 1.

7% lower.

US stocks futures also tumbled: Dow futures were down as much as 780 points, or 2.

S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures were down 2.

3% and 3% respectively.

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The broad losses followed a sharp decline on Wall Street on Wednesday.

The Dow closed down more than 464 points, or 1.

4%, posting its fifth straight day of losses.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell 1.

8% and 2.

6%, respectively.

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In the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, subway stations have become improvised bunkers.

Witnesses in the city told CNN the stations are full of people carrying supplies, organized in groups.

The stations are full -- but not the trains themselves, which are still running smoothly.

Ukrainians flee Kyiv: Photos began emerging Thursday morning of heavy traffic in the city, with long lines of cars heading out of Kyiv.

"While we hear those (air raid) sirens, you can imagine how panicked the people of this city are being shaken out of their beds at these thundering explosions that have been taking place all around us," said CNNs Matthew Chance in Kyiv earlier today.

"All that traffic is heading in one direction .

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driving as fast as they can to the west towards the safer areas, if youd like, of the country, perhaps towards Poland, which is three or four or five hours drive from from here.

You can see its almost a constant stream of traffic the residents of this country moving out towards the west, the opposite direction of of Russia.

Russia attacks Ukraine.

NATO member states Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have triggered NATO Article 4 to launch consultations within the alliance over Russias attack on Ukraine.

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French President Emmanuel Macron said Russia must "immediately" end military operations in Ukraine.

  "France strongly condemns Russias decision to wage war on Ukraine.

Russia must end its military operations immediately," he said in a tweet on Thursday.

 "France stands in solidarity with Ukraine.

It stands with Ukrainians and is working with its partners and allies to end the war.

" The French president spoke with Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky early Thursday morning, with Zelensky asking for "multiple interventions" to support Ukraine, according to the Elysee Palace.

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Zelensky also requested "unity in Europe," and Macron "assured him of Frances support and solidarity," according to the Elysee.

Macron also spoke with Charles Michel, president of the European Council, Thursday morning.

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised to "weaken Russias economic base and its capacity to modernize" following the "barbaric attack" by Moscow against Ukraine.

"We will freeze Russian assets in the European Union and stop the access of Russian banks to European financial markets," Von der Leyen told reporters on Thursday.

"We condemn this barbaric attack and the cynical arguments that are being used to justify it.

" "Harshest" sanctions: Von der Leyen said she will present "massive and strategic" sanctions against Russia for approval later today.

"These sanctions are designed to take a heavy toll on the Kremlins interests and their ability to finance war.

And we know that millions of Russians do not want war," she said.

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"We will not allow President [Vladimir] Putin to replace the rule of law, by the rule of force, and ruthlessness," she said, "Ukraine will prevail.

" Speaking alongside Von der Leyen, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said punitive measures from the 27-member bloc against Russia would be "the harshest packet of sanctions that has ever been implemented.

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" Oleksandra Matviichuk, chair of the Center for Civil Liberties in Kyiv, told CNN on Thursday she fears the Russian attack on Ukraine will cause a "refugee crisis.

" "I am in Kyiv.

 And a lot of people stay in Kyiv and will fight for our country and for our city, and for our dignity," she said.

 "But people with children, people without parents, people who are scared (will) try to leave (the) city.

" She added that she fears Russias attack will also target journalists, civil activists, human rights defenders, and volunteers "who are .

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resistant to the occupation.

" When asked what could possibly prompt Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull back, Matviichuk responded, "Now, it all depends onto immediate reaction of the West.

" "We, as Ukrainians, will win," she said.

"I dont know how my personal story will end but I have no doubt Ukraine will stand.

But we need time, and (the) West can provide this time, with their immediate reaction.

" In the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, subway stations have become improvised bunkers.

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" NATO member states Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have triggered NATO Article Four to launch consultations within the alliance over their security concerns.

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  Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said Russia's invasion of Ukraine represented a "threat to the whole of Europe," the Estonian government said in a statement on Thursday.

  "Russias widespread aggression is a threat to the entire world and to all NATO countries, and NATO consultations on strengthening the security of the Allies must be initiated to implement additional measures for ensuring the defense of NATO Allies," Kallas said.

"The most effective response to Russias aggression is unity.

" Some context: Under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Agreement, the Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the allies is threatened.

Ukraine is not a member of NATO.

However, Russia has demanded that NATO commits to never admitting Ukraine to the alliance, something NATO members have rejected, citing the alliances "open door" policy.

Residents of Lviv in western Ukraine were urged not to panic by local authorities on Thursday following Russia's attack on the country, according to local reports.

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Authorities in the city said residents should turn off their lights and take cover, a local state-run TV report said.

They should also hold on to their important documents, the report added.

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A CNN team on the ground heard the sound of sirens multiple times on Thursday.

CNN reporters also saw residents in the outskirts of Lviv lining up outside banks to withdraw cash.

Some diplomats previously relocated to Lviv, which is located about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the border with Poland, over the past couple of weeks as fears grew that a Russian attack on Ukraine would include the capital, Kyiv.

Imagery from flight tracking service Flightradar24 shows mostly empty airspace above Ukraine and western Russia, with planes in the area steering clear of the border regions.

Early on Thursday, Ukraines aviation authorities issued a notice restricting the countrys airspace, covering the regions around Kyiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Odessa and Simferopol.

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European aviation regulators also warned that any civilian aircraft near the Ukrainian border could face a "high risk" of being targeted.

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday condemned Russias invasion of eastern Ukraine, saying it "shakes the foundations of the international order.

" "We strongly criticize Russias actions and will cooperate with the United States and the international community to respond swiftly," Kishida told reporters at a news conference.

Kishida added that Tokyo would continue to work with relevant ministries to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in Ukraine.

When asked about further sanctions against Moscow, Kishida told reporters he would consider future measures after communicating with other G7 nations and the international community.

Some context: Kishida on Wednesday said Japan will impose sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine.

Kishida said Japan will suspend the issuance of visas and freeze the assets of people involved in recognizing the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, the two separatist-held pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine.

He did not specify names or how the sanctions would be carried out.

He also said Japan will ban imports and exports to and from Donetsk and Luhansk, and prohibit the issuance and circulation of Russian bonds in Japan.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will convene a meeting with his military, state-run news agency Belta reported on Thursday.

Belarus and Russia have close military ties, and Russian troops recently deployed to Belarus for extensive military drills.

  CNN has witnessed, through a livestream video, troops atop a column of military vehicles entering Ukraine from a border crossing with Belarus.

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Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke earlier Thursday morning about the ongoing situation in Ukraine, Belta reported.

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The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said Thursday its forces are countering the Russian offensive "with dignity" and inflicting losses on Moscow's troops.

"National Defence Forces, using the right for self-defence according to the article 51 of the United Nations Charter are countering with dignity the enemys attempts to break through the state border," the Ministry said in a statement shared on Whatsapp.

 "Situation is controlled.

The Russian troops are suffering losses.

" The Ministry also said there had been "no losses among the defenders of Ukraine.

" In an earlier statement, Russia's Ministry of Defense said it had neutralized Ukrainian air defenses.

CNN has been unable to independently verify either of these claims.

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Russian military vehicles have entered Ukraine through Crimea, according to a video released by the Ukrainian Border Guard.

Its unclear which border crossing the vehicles are entering Ukraine from — Chongar in the east or Kalanchak in the west.

Earlier this morning, livestream video from the Belarus border crossing showed a column of troops and military vehicles crossing into Ukraine.

The video was shot around 6:48 a.

local time at the crossing between Senkivka, Ukraine, and Veselovka, Belarus.

The Ukrainian Border Guard told CNN in a statement earlier that their borders were attacked by Russia, and Belarus, "with the use of artillery, heavy equipment and small arms.

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" British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call on Thursday that "the West would not stand by as President Putin waged his campaign against the Ukrainian people," according to Downing Street.

Johnson and Zelensky spoke over the phone after Russia's attack on Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, according to a statement tweeted by Downing Street.

Johnson told Zelensky on the call that "he was appalled by the unfolding events in Ukraine," said the statement.

It added that Johnson hoped "Ukraine could resist," and that the United Kingdom had Ukrainians in their thoughts "during this dark time.

" The price of bitcoin fell below $35,000 early Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

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Bitcoin was trading at $34,969 as of 1:22 a.

ET, according to CoinMarketCap.

Thats a decline of more than 8% compared to a day earlier.

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The worlds most valuable cryptocurrency fell below $40,000 over the weekend, and has continued to slide as the Ukraine crisis intensifies.

Read more here.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted on Thursday that he is continuing consultations with world leaders.

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"The world is with us," he wrote.

"I continue negotiations with the leaders.

Received support from the Emir of Qatar.

" Earlier in the morning, he tweeted that he had spoken with US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Council President Charles Michel, and Polish President Andrzej Duda.

The Chinese embassy in Ukraine released a warning for its citizens in the country early Thursday, urging them to place the Chinese flag on their vehicles for safety.

"The situation in Ukraine has deteriorated dramatically.

There have been bombings in multiple cities, and the military operations are under way," said the statement from the embassy.

It urged citizens to stay home and away from windows or glass, warning "serious riots" may happen on the streets.

It added that if Chinese nationals are driving on the roads, "the Chinese national flag can be affixed to the visible part of the car body.

" It also asked Chinese nationals to pay close attention to the situation, stay in contact with overseas Chinese organizations, and to "extend a helping hand to each other to reflect the image of the Chinese people and the strength of China.

" A tricky spot for China: China has found itself in an uncomfortable position during the ongoing crisis; China and Russia have have presented an increasingly united front in the face of what they view as Western interference into their domestic affairs and threats to their security.

That partnership was very publicly bolstered only weeks ago at a Xi-Putin summit.

Zhang Jun, Chinas ambassador to the United Nations, called for all parties to "stay cool headed and rational" on Wednesday night, saying "a peaceful solution" was still possible — even as the Ukrainian ambassador declared it was "too late" for de-escalation given Russias attacks.

The United States Embassy in Kyiv has issued a warning for Americans in Ukraine to "shelter in place" due to Russian attacks in a number of major Ukrainian cities.

"There are reports of Russian attacks on targets in a number of major Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Mariupol," the embassy said on Twitter.

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"US citizens in Ukraine are advised to shelter in place and take the following actions: If you hear a loud explosion or if sirens are activated, immediately seek cover.

If in a home or a building, go to the lowest level of the structure with the fewest exterior walls, windows, and openings; close any doors and sit near an interior wall, away from any windows or openings.

If you are outdoors, immediately seek cover in a hardened structure; if that is not possible, lie down and cover your head with your hands.

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" The Russian military claimed in a statement Thursday that Ukraines border service "did not provide any resistance" to Russian units invading Ukrainian territory.

The statement also claimed the Russian military had "suppressed" Ukraines air defenses.

  CNN was not able to immediately verify either of those claims.

  Aircraft denial: In the same statement, the Russian military denied claims by Ukrainian forces that they had downed several Russian aircraft, saying reports "do not correspond with reality.

" The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces earlier said that five Russian aircraft and a helicopter were shot down early Thursday, as Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė urged "strong and united action" in a tweet on Thursday.

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For anyone who doubted, the time to start seeing things for what they are is long past," she wrote.

The foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia released a joint statement condemning "in (the) strongest possible way, the open large scale Russian (aggression) against the independent, peaceful and democratic Ukraine.

" The statement said Russia's actions were a "blatant violation of the international law" and a "crime against Ukrainian people that we condemn.

" It called on the international community to "impose strongest possible sanctions on Russia," and to provide Ukraine with military, economic, political and humanitarian aid.

Poland's Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau also condemned Russias actions in a tweet on Thursday, urging Moscow to "stop all military action immediately and return to diplomacy.

" The lives of millions of people are at stake, he added.

##Sanctions## A spokesperson for Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Russias military action Thursday as an "act of war" in a statement posted to Facebook.

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"This is an act of war, an attack on sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a gross violation of the UN Statute and the fundamental norms and principles of international law," spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said in the statement.

Nikolenko said Russian troops had carried out strikes on "peaceful" Ukrainian cities, in an offensive that aimed to "destroy the state of Ukraine, seize Ukrainian territory by force, and establish occupation control.

" "Ukraine is claiming its right to self-defence in accordance with international law," the statement said, adding the Ukrainian military was ready to "repel the aggressor and defend the Ukrainian land with all their might.

"  Call for help: Nikolenko urged the international community to "act immediately," requesting new sanctions be applied to Russia and military equipment to support Ukraines' defense capabilities.

"Lives and security not only of the Ukrainian citizens, but also on the security of the citizens of Europe and the future of the world order depends on our united response," the statement added.

Traffic across Kyiv's North Bridge on Thursday morning all appears to be moving west, with no cars going east.

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Early this morning, CNN teams on the ground reported hearing explosions that sounded like they were coming from the east of the Ukrainian capital — the direction of Boryspil International Airport.

The President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission issued a joint statement Thursday condemning Russian military action in Ukraine "in the strongest possible terms.

" "Russia is grossly violating international law and undermining European and global security and stability," European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the statement.

"We call on Russia to immediately cease the hostilities, withdraw its military from Ukraine and fully respect Ukraines territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

Such use of force and coercion has no place in the 21st century.

" European leaders to discuss action against Moscow: The statement said that Michel has scheduled a European Council meeting on Thursday to discuss the Ukraine crisis and potential punitive measures against Russia.

"We deplore the loss of life and humanitarian suffering.

The EU and its Member States are ready to urgently provide humanitarian emergency response.

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We call on Russia and Russia-backed armed formations to respect international humanitarian law," the statement added.

"The EU stands firmly by Ukraine and its people as they face this unparalleled crisis.

The EU will provide further political, financial and humanitarian assistance.

"We are coordinating our response with our international partners, including NATO and G7 whose leaders will meet today.

" Livestream video shows tanks and other armored vehicles entering Ukraine through a border crossing with Belarus.

The video was taken at the Senkivka, Urkaine crossing with Veselovka, Belarus, shot around 6:48 a.

local time.

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The US Department of Defense is tracking the reported incursion of troops from Belarus into Ukraine, a US defense official said Thursday.

   It was not clear if the troops were only Russian or also Belarusian, the source said.

Watch the video: In a tweet on Thursday morning, Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba appealed to "Ukrainians around the globe" to speak up and urge action from their leaders.

"Putin attacked, but no one is running away," he wrote.

"Army, diplomats, everyone is working.

Ukraine fights.

Ukraine will defend itself.

Ukraine will win.

" "Share the truth about Putin's invasion in your countries and call on governments to act immediately," he said.

The first bangs came at just after 5 a.

on Thursday, putting a definite end to any speculation about what Russian President Vladimir Putin intended to do.

   Just minutes before, Putin announced he was ordering military operation in Ukraine.

Now, the residents of Kyiv could hear the consequences first hand.

  The explosions were coming from some distance away from the city center, but were clearly audible across the Ukrainian capital, the deep noise piercing through the quiet early morning.

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Kyiv residents have been told stay at home and pack a bag with necessities, in case they need to leave abruptly.

  Across the city, red arrows painted on walls indicate the locations of the nearest bomb shelters.

The city first put them up after the war broke up in east of the country in 2014, but they were recently repainted again, so that they are unmissable.

  At 6:18 a.

, two hours before the school day would usually get underway, parents of children attending the Ivan Franko school in the heart of Kyiv received a message informing them kids must stay at home on Thursday.

Classes are moving online, but will continue.

   Then, just after the sun came up, at 7 a.

, the air raid sirens went off for the first time.

  While the streets within the city centre were calm and quiet, with hardly anyone walking around, the highways heading away from Kyiv were a lot busier than normal with heavy traffic heading northwest.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has claimed five Russian aircraft and a helicopter were shot down early Thursday, as Russian forces attacked Ukraine.

The Russian military has denied the claims, state news agency TASS reported on Thursday.

US senators have said the unfolding attack in Ukraine is in line with intelligence briefings they received about what to expect from a Russian invasion.

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In a series of tweets, Sen.

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Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that Russia was launching a "full scale and comprehensive military assault throughout Ukraine.

" The attack involved "airborne and amphibious landings, missile strikes from air, ground and naval forces, electronic and cyber attacks and a large ground force to occupy a large swarth of territory," Rubio said.

He added that Russian airborne forces are also working to "take control of the airport in Kyiv (so) they can fly in forces to occupy the (capital) city.

" A source familiar with the matter said the tweets were based on US intelligence being shared with Intelligence Committee members.

Congress briefed on attack: As the Russian attack escalated late Wednesday, Sen.

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Mark Warner, the Senate Intelligence chairman, and Rep.

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Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, spoke with CIA Director William Burns, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Ben Cardin, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CNN that senators would be briefed on the invasion by the White House Thursday.

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"A lot of what we're seeing happening in regards to the apparent air attacks on the defense infrastructure of Ukraine is all part of what was expected we would see," Cardin said.

"There is no justification for it.

I can tell you there'll be strong bipartisan support in the United States Senate and Congress for the strongest possible reaction by the United States and our allies.

" Several Russian airports have restricted operations in relation to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, according to a statement from Russias Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia.

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"In contraction with the difficult situation around Ukraine, from the 24th of February at 3.

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45am Moscow time, flights in a number of airports in the South of Russia have been suspended," the statement read.

The restrictions will be in effect until March 2, according to the aviation authorities.

Flights are suspended at airports in: Rostov, Krasnodar, Anapa, Gelendzhik, Elista, Stavropol, Belgorod, Bryansk, Oryol, Kursk, Voronezh and Simferopol, Crimea.

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"The aviation authorities of Russia strongly recommend that passengers on upcoming flights and those who are meeting flights go to those airports," the statement read.

"All changes in the schedule of airports and airlines should be clarified on the official websites of airports and airlines, including social networks.

" The mayor of Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, has urged citizens to stay home as explosions and sounds of artillery are reported across the country.

"Please do not leave your homes today.

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Due to the complicated situation, schools, kindergartens and other institutions do not work today — until the situation becomes clearer," Mayor Igor Terekhov said in a Facebook post on Thursday morning.

"At the same time, public transport works as usual.

 I will keep you informed of what is happening and the actions of city authorities throughout the day.

" Elsewhere in Ukraine: The national capital Kyiv and the western city of Lviv have both sounded air raid sirens — but the mood is still "remarkably calm" on the ground, according to CNN reporters on the ground.

Its about 8 a.

there, with what looks like normal morning traffic as people head to work.

This post has been updated to more accurately describe Lviv.

The US Department of Defense is tracking the reported incursion of troops from Belarus into Ukraine, a US defense official said Thursday.

Some context: Through a livestream video, CNN witnessed troops atop a column of military vehicles entering Ukraine from a border crossing with Belarus at about 6:48 a.

local time Thursday.

The livestream video was taken at the Senkivka, Ukraine, crossing with Veselovka, Belarus.

In recent weeks, Russia has amassed a significant number of troops, vehicles and tanks in Belarus near the border with Ukraine.

 During that time, the two countries have held joint military exercises across the countries, and near the Belarus-Ukrainian border.

Early Thursday, the Ukrainian state border service said the country was attacked through multiple borders, including Belarus.

CNN reporters in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine, heard sustained air raid sirens just before 7:45 a.

local time (12:45 a.

Reporters in the countrys capital of Kyiv also heard air raid sirens earlier Thursday morning.

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Earlier this week, some diplomats relocated from Kyiv to Lviv as fears grew that a Russian attack on Ukraine would include the capital.

The Moscow Exchange announced Thursday it had suspended trading on all of its markets until further notice.

The South Korean embassy in Kyiv strongly urged its citizens in Ukraine to be ready to evacuate to a safe area in case of an emergency, in a notice published before Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the military operation in Ukraine.

"Our embassy learned on February 23 that all Russian embassy and consulate staff in Ukraine hastily left Ukraine, and some national embassy staff also left Kyiv," said the embassy on its website early Thursday.

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"Considering the urgent change in the current situation, we strongly recommend that the South Koreans who are still in Ukraine be fully prepared so that they can move to a safe area or location promptly in case of an emergency," the embassy said.

The embassy also urged all South Korean nationals in Ukraine to maintain contact with the embassy.

Asian markets and US stock futures plunged on Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine.

Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index declined 3.

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Japans Nikkei 225 lost 2.

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4% after coming back from a holiday.

Chinas Shanghai Composite moved 0.

9% lower.

US stocks futures also tumbled.

Dow futures were down as much as 780 points, or 2.

3% and 2.

8%, respectively.

The broad losses followed a sharp decline on Wall Street on Wednesday.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday that the situation in Ukraine is "tense" and he would work with G7 nations on the issue.

"The situation is tense.

We will continue to work in collaboration with the international community, including the G7 nations," Kishida told reporters.

"We will do our best to collect information and get a grasp of the situation.

" Some context: Kishida on Wednesday said Japan will impose sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine.

Kishida added that the details of the sanctions will be discussed further.

   Kishida said Wednesday that Russia's actions had "clearly" violated Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law and urged Russia to resolve the situation through a diplomatic process.

The Ukrainian-controlled part of Luhansk announced a general evacuation on Thursday morning as Russia attacked Ukraine.

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"We recommend residents of Luhansk region to leave the region immediately," the head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration, Serhiy Haiday, said on Facebook.

"The owners of vehicles should move in the direction of the Dnieper river on their own.

" Evacuation by train is being organized for those who cannot leave independently, he added, directing people to the Lysychansk, Rubizhne and Svatove train stations.

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"During the evacuation, please remain calm and listen to the instructions of the authorities, the National Police and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine," he said.

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Luhansk is one of two separatist regions backed by Russia, along with Donetsk.

Both regions, known as oblasts in Ukrainian, are split between parts controlled by Ukraine and by pro-Moscow separatists.

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Ukraine was attacked through multiple borders, the Ukrainian state border service said early Thursday.

"At about 5:00 a.

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, the state border of Ukraine in the area with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus was attacked by Russian troops supported by Belarus," the service said.

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  It added that attacks are being carried out in Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Zhytomyr regions — areas on the eastern and northern borders of Ukraine.

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The attacks are targeting border units, border patrols and checkpoints using artillery, heavy equipment and small arms, the border service said.

"In addition, the attack takes place from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea side," said the service.

Ukraine is firing back: It added that border guards, along with Ukraines Armed Forces and National Guard, are "firing at the enemy" depending on the situation on the border.

The US Embassy in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, said in a Twitter post Thursday that it is "aware of military engagements within Ukraine.

" "We will continue to monitor and provide updates.

Americans are encourage to monitor this account and @TravelGov as we issue updates," the tweet said.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Wednesday that the small group of US diplomats who have remained in Ukraine were continuing to sleep in Poland and commuting to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.

Price said they had "every expectation that they will continue to do so as long as the security environment remains permissive.

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" CNN has asked the State Department whether US diplomats returned to Ukraine on Thursday.

US officials had repeatedly urged Americans to leave Ukraine as they warned Russia could invade at any time.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko spoke by phone on Thursday, according to Belarusian state news agency Belta.

today, a telephone conversation took place between the Presidents of Belarus and Russia, during which Vladimir Putin informed his Belarusian counterpart about the situation on the border with Ukraine and in the Donbas," Belta cited the Belarusian presidential press service as saying.

Troops entering Ukraine via Belarus: CNN has witnessed, through a livestream video, troops atop a column of military vehicles entering Ukraine from a border crossing with Belarus.

CNN has witnessed, through a livestream video, troops atop a column of military vehicles entering Ukraine from a border crossing with Belarus.

The livestream video was taken at the Senkivka, Ukraine crossing with Veselovka, Belarus.

The column was seen entering Ukraine around 6:48 a.

  In recent weeks, Russia has amassed a significant number of troops, vehicles and tanks in Belarus near the border with Ukraine.

In a statement, US President Joe Biden said he spoke late Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky via a secure call after Zelensky reached out.

"I condemned this unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces.

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I briefed him on the steps we are taking to rally international condemnation, including tonight at the United Nations Security Council," Biden said in the statement, adding that Zelensky had asked him "to call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin's flagrant aggression, and to stand with the people of Ukraine.

" Biden added that he will meet with the leaders of the G7 nations, and that the US and its allies would impose "severe sanctions on Russia.

" CNN reporters and witnesses in cities across Ukraine have reported hearing explosions in the early hours of Thursday.

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Heres where: Kyiv: CNN reporters in Ukraines capital heard explosions from the east in the direction of the citys international airport.

Social media users reported hearing several explosions in the Boryspil area to the east of the capital, where the international airport is located about 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the city.

CNN has not confirmed that the airport has been targeted.

   Kharkiv: A CNN team in Ukraines second biggest city, in the northeast of the country, heard a "steady stream of loud explosions.

" Kramatorsk: Two people in the eastern city, located about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of separatist-held Donetsk, told CNN they heard at least two massive explosions.

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Dnipro: A resident of the central city told CNN they had heard "a few explosions.

" Mariupol: Two residents told CNN they heard explosions east of the city, which is located in the southeast of the country.

Odessa: A CNN team in the Black Sea port city heard two groups of explosions about 20 minutes apart.

  Zaporizhzhia: A CNN team in the southeastern city said they heard at at least one very distant explosion.

Additionally, a CNN team in the Russian city of Belgorod, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Kharkiv, said they heard a regular stream of thuds that sounded like outgoing artillery fire.

##Catch Up## The European Unions High Representative Josep Borrell tweeted early Thursday morning, saying, "We strongly condemn Russias unjustified attack on Ukraine.

"  "In these dark hours, our thoughts are with Ukraine and the innocent women, men and children as they face this unprovoked attack and fear for their lives," Borrell said.

"We will hold the Kremlin accountable.

" Charles Michel, president of the European Council, posted the same tweet minutes before Borrell.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the world to "act immediately" in response to Russias military operation in the country.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, Kuleba wrote: "The world must act immediately.

Future of Europe & the world is at stake.

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To do list:  1.

Devastating sanctions on Russia NOW, including SWIFT 2.

Fully isolate Russia by all means, in all formats  3.

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Weapons, equipment for Ukraine  4.

Financial assistance  5.

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Humanitarian assistance" A photo provided by the Ukrainian President's office appears to show an explosion in the countrys capital, Kyiv, early Thursday morning.

CNN teams in Kyiv have been hearing explosions near the capital since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his military operation in Ukraine.

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CNN also heard air sirens sounding for several minutes in Kyiv around 7 a.

local time (12 a.

ET), which could be heard across the city.

CNN teams did not see or hear incoming fire.

The mayor of the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday reassured citizens, telling them not to "panic" following Russian President Vladimir Putins announcement of a military operation in eastern Ukraine.

In a post on his official Facebook page, Dnipro Mayor Borys Fylatov said the city has "everything in order.

" "Countrymen, please dont panic.

Soon, when the exact level of threat is clear for Dnipro — I will keep you updated.

Believe me, no one could believe in such a level of cynicism, but everything is in order.

Lets keep in touch.

God and Truth is behind us.

" Fylatov posted.

Some context: A Dnipro resident earlier told CNN they had heard "a few explosions" in the city.

The Russian military released a statement Thursday claiming it was not targeting Ukrainian cities, as CNN teams on the ground report explosions around the country.

  "The Russian Armed Forces are not launching any missile or artillery strikes on the cities of Ukraine.

High-precision weapons destroy military infrastructure: military airfields, aviation, air defense facilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the statement read.

"The civilian population is not at risk.

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"  CNN teams on the ground have reported explosions around Ukraine and outside of the Donbas region, where Putin announced a "special military operation" in the early hours of Thursday.

Though there have been several explosions reported around the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, it is currently calm and people are going to work as the sun rises, a local official said.

  There were two explosions in Kramatorsk about 5 a.

local time (10 p.

ET) and a few more just minutes ago, according to Tatanya Ignachenko, the press secretary of the civil-military administration Donetsk Oblast.

"There is no plan to evacuate people at this moment.

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It seems calm in Kramatorsk.

People are going to the factory for their 6 a.

shift," she said.

  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has introduced martial law, and urged people to remain calm in a brief video address on Thursday morning.

Heres Zelenskys full statement: "Dear Ukrainian citizens, this morning President Putin announced a special military operation in Donbas.

Russia conducted strikes on our military infrastructure and our border guards.

There were blasts heard in many cities of Ukraine.

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We're introducing martial law on the whole territory of our country.

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A minute ago I had a conversation with President Biden.

The US have already started uniting international support.

Today each of you should keep calm.

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Stay at home if you can.

We are working.

The army is working.

The whole sector of defense and security is working.

" "No panic.

We are strong.

We are ready for everything.

We will win over everybody because we are Ukraine.

" Indias Ambassador to the United Nations T.

Tirumurti on Wednesday night said the situation in Ukraine is "in danger of spiraling into a major crisis.

" "The calls of the international community to give time to the recent initiatives undertaken by parties to defuse tensions were not heeded to," Tirumurti said at an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

"We express our deep concern over the developments, which, if not handled carefully, may well undermine the peace and security of the region," he noted, calling for "immediate de-escalation.

" "We believe the solution lies in sustained diplomatic dialogue between the concerned parties.

In the meantime, we strongly emphasize the vital need for all sides to maintain international peace and security by exercising the utmost restraint.

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" Tirumurti called on all parties concerned in the Ukraine-Russia crisis to refrain "from any further action that could contribute to a worsening of the situation.

"India has consistently advocated at the United Nations, the need for peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law and with agreements entered into by parties concerned," he said.

The United States and its allies are planning on Thursday to trigger the "full scale" of sanctions against Russia that have been discussed over the past several weeks, according to a senior Biden administration official.

While the official declined to lay out specifics, the US has planned to target Russia's two largest banks, as well as other financial firms, and has prepared to deploy export controls to cut off Russian access to critical Western technology for entire Russian economic sectors.

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Additional members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and their families will also be targeted.

Discussions are ongoing late this evening between US and European officials about the final shape of the package, the official said.

It will also be a topic of discussion at the virtual G7 meeting scheduled for Thursday morning, the official said.

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US officials also remain on high alert for any cyber activity targeting key domestic targets including banks and critical infrastructure, the official said.

China's ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, called on all parties involved in the Ukraine-Russia crisis to "stay cool headed and rational.

" "It is especially important at the moment to avoid fueling tensions," Zhang said at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday night.

"All parties concerned should exercise restraint and avoid the further escalation of tensions," he said, adding that China believes the "door to a peaceful solution to the Ukraine issue is not fully shut.

" "China will continue to promote peace talks in its own ways and welcomes and encourages all efforts aimed at a diplomatic solution," Zhang said.

  In a tweet early Thursday morning, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned Russias "reckless attack on Ukraine, which puts at risk countless civilian lives.

" "This is a grave breach of international law & a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security.

NATO Allies will meet to address Russia's renewed aggression," Stoltenberg added.

US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are currently speaking, according to a White House official.

Speaking to Fox News late Wednesday, former US President Donald Trump called Russia's military operation in Ukraine "a very sad thing for the world" and claimed it wouldn't have happened during his administration.

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  "Well, this is something that should have never happened.

 This would not have happened during my administration," Trump said.

"It wouldn't have taken place and it wouldn't have taken place right now.

"  "And its a very sad thing for the world, for the country and it's certainly very sad for a lot of people that are going to be needlessly killed," he added.

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  The former President's comments come a day after he hailed Russian President Vladimir Putins recognition of the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, as an act of "genius.

" White House response: Asked about Trump's initial comments on Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the White House does not "take advice from anyone who praises President Putin.

"  Psaki added then that the Biden administration is taking a "different approach" from the Trump administration, adding, "That's probably why President Biden and not his predecessor was able to rally the world and the global community in taking steps against Russian aggression.

" United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring his troops back to Russia and stop "what could be the worst war since the beginning of the century.

" Speaking after a UN Security Council meeting late on Wednesday, Guterres warned Putin that Russian military action could not only be "devastating for Ukraine" and "tragic" for Russia "but with an impact we can not even foresee in relation to their consequences for the global economy.

" "In a moment when we are emerging from Covid and so many developing countries absolutely need to have space for the recovery, which would be very, very difficult with the high prices of oil, with the exports of wheat from Ukraine and with rising interest rates caused by instability in international markets," he added.

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"This conflict must stop now.

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" Guterres earlier opened his remarks at the stakeout with a somber statement: "This is the saddest moment in my tenure as Secretary General of the United Nations," he said.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he had ordered military action in Ukraine early Thursday, he threatened "those who may be tempted to intervene" on Ukraines behalf.

  "Now a few important, very important words for those who may be tempted to intervene in ongoing events from the outside," Putin said.

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"Whoever tries to interfere with us, and even more so to create threats to our country, to our people, should know that Russias response will be immediate and will lead you to such consequences as you have never experienced in your history.

We are ready for any development of events.

I hope that I will be heard.

" CNN teams on the ground have reported explosions around Ukraine and outside of the Donbas region in the countrys east.

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An adviser for the Interior Minister of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko, has told journalists on an official WhatsApp group that Russian troops have landed in the city Odessa and are crossing the border in the city of Kharkiv.

  Gerashchenko added there have been missile strikes on the Vasilkovsky airfield near Kyiv.

  He also said that Borys Filatov, the mayor of Dnipro, just called to say he was hearing explosions.

Ukraines ambassador to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya, warned it was "too late" for de-escalation at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council Wednesday night, as he urged other countries to help stop the conflict.

"Because it's too late, my dear colleagues, to speak about de-escalation, too late," he said.

"The Russian president declared war.

" Kyslytsya cited the UN charter and the stipulation that only peace-loving states would be admitted into the Security Council, and then asked the Russian ambassador to relinquish his role as council president.

Earlier Wednesday night, the Russian ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, defended Russias military operation and denied that it was a "war," blaming the current tensions on Ukraine.

European aviation regulators say there is a "high risk" to civilian aircraft near the Ukrainian border, fearing they could be targeted on purpose at any altitude.

"Air operators are reminded that this is now an active conflict zone," says the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, known as EASA.

  The agency added that "operators should exercise extreme caution" and avoid using the airspace within 100 nautical miles of the Russia-Ukraine border.

"Critical infrastructure, including airports, are exposed to military activities which result in safety risks for civil aircraft," said the EASA.

"The presence and possible use of a wide range of ground and airborne warfare systems poses a HIGH risk for civil flights operating at all altitudes and flight levels.

" The United States early assessment of events underway in Ukraine is that this is the start of a full Russian invasion, according to a senior US official familiar with the latest US intelligence.

The source said the belief is that the explosions heard near Ukraines capital, Kyiv, and the Black Sea port city of Odessa are likely missiles, while the ones around the northeastern city of Kharkiv are likely artillery given its proximity to the Russian border.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted early on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

" "Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes.

This is a war of aggression.

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Ukraine will defend itself and will win.

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The world can and must stop Putin.

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The time to act is now," he tweeted.

The Ukrainian ambassador to the United Nations urged other member nations to "stop the war," at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

"It is the responsibility of this body to stop the war.

 So I call on every one of you to do everything possible to stop the war," Sergiy Kyslytsya said to the council, before turning to face the Russian ambassador to the UN and asking: "Or should I play the video with your president declaring the war?" The Russian ambassador responded, "This isnt called a war, this is called a special military operation in Donbas.

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" Early Thursday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a televised address that troops were taking military action in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

CNN reporters and witnesses in cities across Ukraine have reported hearing explosions in the early hours of Thursday.

The US Ambassador to the United Nations said Russian President Vladimir Putin had "delivered a message of war" by announcing his military operation in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

"In my remarks tonight, I said that we predicted Russia's false flag attacks.

The misinformation, the theatrical emergency meetings and cyber-attacks.

But one piece had not come to pass.

Unfortunately while we've been meeting in the Security Council tonight, it appears that President Putin has ordered that last step," said UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

"At the exact time as we are gathered in the council seeking peace, Putin delivered a message of war in total disdain for the responsibility for this council.

This is a grave emergency.

The council will need to act and we will put a resolution on the table tomorrow.

As President Biden said tonight, Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring and the United States and our allies and partners will decide in a united and decisive way.

" US President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on Thursday afternoon on Russias decision to take military action in Ukraine, according to a White House official.

Biden will announce "further consequences the United States and our Allies and partners will impose on Russia for its unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine," said the official.

Shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the military operation early Thursday morning, Biden released a statement decrying Putins choice as bringing "a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.

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" An adviser for the Interior Minister of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko, said early on Thursday morning that Russia's "invasion has begun," with "missile strikes on Kyiv.

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" Gerashchenko added on his Facebook page that control centers such as airfields and military headquarters are being hit by the shelling in Kyiv and Kharkiv, and that there is artillery fire along the border.

The Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Alekseevich Nebenzya, defended Russias decision to take military action in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

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"The root of todays crisis around Ukraine is the actions of Ukraine itself, who for many years were sabotaging its obligations under the (Minsk agreement)," said Nebenzya.

He claimed that the Russian operation aimed to protect residents in the separatist pro-Moscow regions of eastern Ukraine, "who for eight years have been cowering from Ukraines shelling.

" He claimed that "Ukrainian provocation against those in Donbas not only has not stopped but has intensified," which prompted separatist leaders in the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk to request Russian assistance.

The US State Department has warned that Russia may use so-called false flags, including claims that Ukraine is attacking Donetsk, to justify an invasion.

  Europes top air traffic authority is urgently telling airlines and other civilian flights to stay away from Ukrainian airspace.

  The head of European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, better known as Eurocontrol, tweeted early Thursday, "All operators advised.

" Eurocontrol Director General Eamonn Brennan said that a Russian notice to pilots published earlier was "likely due to military activity.

" Earlier today, Ukrainian authorities issued a notice restricting the countrys airspace starting early Thursday morning and lasting until midnight GMT (7 p.

The British Ambassador to the United Natiions said Russia has been holding a gun to Ukraine's head for months and asked Russia, again, to avoid war.

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"For months, Russia has been holding a gun to Ukraine's head.

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Now, President Putin's finger is on the trigger," United Kingdom Ambassador Barbara Woodward said Wednesday night during a special UN Security Council meeting.

"A full-scale conflict in a country of 44 million people will bring immense suffering, casualties on both sides and devastating humanitarian consequences," she said.

"The world is calling for peace but Russia is not listening," she added.

  "We're here for the second time this week in the council," Woodward said.

"My Prime Minister and foreign and defense secretaries have been unsparing in their diplomatic efforts.

But we have also announced a significant further sanction step with our allies.

A package targeted against some of the Russian oligarchs, banks and politicians supporting President Putin and we will ratchet up economic consequences should Russia continue its aggression.

" "There is still time for restraint, reason and de-escalation but that time is now.

" Russian President Vladimir Putin called for Ukraines "demilitarization" in televised remarks, shortly after announcing a military operation in the region of Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

"Circumstances require us to take decisive and immediate action," Putin said, according to a RIA-Novosti transcript.

"The Peoples Republics of Donbas turned to Russia with a request for help.

In this regard, in accordance with Article 51, part 7 of the UN Charter, with the sanction of the Federation Council and in pursuance of the friendship treaties ratified by the Federal Assembly and mutual assistance with the DPR and LPR, I have decided to conduct a special military operation.

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"  Putins remarks came as concerns mounted of an imminent full-scale Russian invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an emotional speech early Thursday that the Russian leadership had approved military action in Ukraine and vowed the country would defend itself.

CNN teams in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv are hearing explosions come from the east, in the direction of the international airport.

Reports on social media indicate several explosions in the Boryspil area to the east of the capital, where the international airport is located.

  Two people in the Ukrainian city Kramatorsk also told CNN they have heard at least two massive explosions in the early hours of Thursday.

In a statement early Thursday morning, US President Joe Biden condemned Russias actions, shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced military action in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Bidens statement: "The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces.

President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.

Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way.

The world will hold Russia accountable.

" Biden added that he is monitoring the situation from the White House, and will meet with the other G7 leaders in the morning.

He will announce "further consequences" imposed on Russia by the US and its allies tomorrow, he said.

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In an early morning address on national television, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "Our plans are not to occupy Ukraine, we do not plan to impose ourselves on anyone.

" Early Thursday morning, Putin said his troops will take military action in Donbas, the area of eastern Ukraine that contains the separatist-held regions of Donetsk and Luhansk which he recognized as independent on Monday.

The CNN team in Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine located in the countrys northeast, is hearing a "steady stream of loud explosions.

" CNN reporters on the ground also reported hearing explosions near the capital Kyiv.

In an address early Thursday on national television, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced military action in Donbas, urging Ukrainian forces to lay down their arms and go home, according to state-run news agencies RIA-Novosti and TASS.

Putin warned that all responsibility for any potential bloodshed will be on the conscience of the Ukrainian government, and said he was confident Russian service members will fulfill their duty.

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The CNN team on the ground is hearing several loud explosions near Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

Watch Matthew Chance reporting: Ukraines aviation authorities have issued a notice restricting the countrys airspace starting early Thursday morning and lasting until midnight GMT (7 p.

The alert, known as a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), covers all five of the countrys flight information regions (FIRS) — restricting aviation in the regions around around Kyiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Odessa and Simferopol.

The flight tracking service FlightRadar24 shows a flight from Warsaw to Kyiv, Lot 755, turned around before entering Ukrainian airspace and is returning to the Polish capital.

The website shows no civil aircraft in Ukrainian airspace.

  Russian President Vladimir Putin says his troops will take action in the separatist-held region of Ukraine he declared independent this week.

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United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres told Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop "attacking Ukraine" and to give peace a chance, speaking at an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday night.

"The day was full of rumors and indications of an offensive against Ukraine was imminent.

In the recent past, there were several situations with similar indications, similar rumors.

And I never believed in them, convinced that nothing serious would happen," Guterres told the council.

"I was wrong.

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And I would like not to be wrong again today.

" "So, if indeed an operation is being prepared, Ive only one thing to say from the bottom of my heart: President Putin, stop your troops from attacking the Ukraine.

Give peace a chance.

Too many people have already died.

" The US Ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday night called on Russia to "back away from the brink, before it is too late.

" "We are here tonight because we believe, along with Ukraine, that a full-scale, further invasion into Ukraine by Russia is imminent," Linda Thomas-Greenfield said at an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

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"Tonight, we're seeing the Russians close airspace, move troops into Donbas, and move forces into combat-ready positions," she added, calling this "a perilous moment.

" "And we are here for one reason and one reason only: to ask Russia to stop.

Return to your border.

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Send your troops, and your tanks, and your planes back to their barracks and hangars.

And send your diplomats to the negotiating table," she said.

Thomas-Greenfield said she had spoken to US President Joe Biden prior to the meeting, and he asked her "to convey in the strongest possible terms his — and our — steadfast support for Ukraine, and support for the urgent meeting this Council has convened tonight.

" "Furthermore, he asked me to share that the United States and our allies and partners will continue to respond to Russia's actions with unity, with clarity, and with conviction," she said.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Wednesday night reiterated US warnings about potential Russian false flags that Moscow could use to justify an invasion.

  "Beware of the following Kremlin disinformation campaigns seeking to justify military action - no evidence supports any of these false claims," Price tweeted.

Read the tweet: The United States has terminated waivers and imposed sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG — the parent company of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline — and its top executives, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Wednesday night.

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US President Joe Biden said earlier in the day he had authorized the sanctions "in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine.

"  The waivers: Last year, the Biden administration waived the sanctions on the company behind the controversial gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, claiming "it was in the national interests of the United States.

" However, Blinken said Wednesday that following Russia's actions this week, those waivers were no longer in the US national interest.

The newly imposed sanctions and visa restrictions target the company, its CEO Matthias Warnig, and its corporate officers.

"All property and interests in property of those sanctioned that are in or come within the United States or are in the possession or control of U.

persons must be blocked and reported to the U.

Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)," Blinken said in the statement.

"Individuals and entities knowingly engaged in sanctionable conduct related to Nord Stream 2 face similar sanctions risks.

" ##Nord Stream 2## ##Sanctions## Russian state news reported on Thursday that Ukrainian security forces have shelled the pro-Moscow region of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, citing reports from the Donetsk Peoples Republic representative office in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire Regime (JCCC).

State news agency RIA-Novosti quoted the report as saying the shelling was in the direction of the village of the Trudovskaya mine, on the outskirts of Donetsk, at 2:40 a.

Ten 120mm mortars had been fired, heavy weapons that are prohibited by the Minsk agreements, according to the reports.

Russian state television also reported heavy fire in separatist-held parts of eastern Ukraine.

CNN could not immediately verify those reports.

  Some background: The 2015 Minsk agreement was hammered out in the Belarusian capital in a bid to end what was then a bloody 10-month conflict in eastern Ukraine.

But it has never been fully implemented, with its key issues still unresolved.

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It was was signed by representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the separatist leaders and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

It was subsequently endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution.

This put an end to the worst of the fighting at the time.

Key Ukrainian government websites were down early Thursday local time following a day in which Ukrainian agencies dealt with multiple cyberattacks and as concerns mounted over Russian troop movement into Ukraines separatist regions.

   The websites of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers, and those of the ministries of foreign affairs, infrastructure, education and others, were experiencing disruptions.

In a separate and potentially more serious hacking incident hours earlier, a data-wiping tool was found on hundreds of computers in Ukraine, according to cybersecurity researchers, raising concerns that a destructive cyberattack was unfolding amid Russias military escalation.

The recruitment center of Ukraines Territorial Defense Force across the street from Kyivs town hall was buzzing with activity on Wednesday.

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At one point, volunteers were queuing to sign up.

The branch of Ukraine's armed forces is comprised mostly of civilian volunteers who receive military training and are charged with protecting key sites.

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"In the summer, we received two to four calls in a week," Pavlo Shchybria, who was manning the information desk, told CNN.

"By the beginning of the winter, 20 to 30 people were calling each week, now, since the beginning of February, we have 200 people a day.

" The force has recently started a massive recruitment push.

Posters asking people to sign up are displayed on Kyiv's metro and elsewhere across the city, with a big campaign on social media.

Leonid Atamasiev, a 46-year old tech worker, was one of those visiting to sign up after learning about the recruitment center online.

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"Now, at this time, we all need to defend our country.

So that's why I came here.

This is the time when we all need to stand together.

All of us, no matter what age," he told CNN.

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Atamasiev said he has never been in the military, but has worked as a volunteer in the past.

"I don't know what I will do, but I am ready to do anything they need me to," he said.

CNNs Frederik Pleitgen has witnessed what he describes as "a lot of very ominous movement" on the ground in Russia, near northeast Ukraine.

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"Weve seen .

military trucks, who have actually had their license plates on backwards.

 They turned the license plates around, which could be them trying to mask some sort of movement," Pleitgen told CNN.

"The Russian military really [is] in a position where it certainly seems as though they could strike at any point in time," he added.

Meanwhile, further south, near Donetsk, Pleitgen noted other examples of assembled Russian military.

"You see a lot of Russian convoys there that seem to be forming," he said.

"[It is] unclear whether or not theyve gone over the border yet, the way that all of this could happen is, you might have two areas where the Russians might try to go across the border.

" Pleitgen closed his live report by offering a statement on the general atmosphere in the region.

"You really feel how things are getting more tense here by the minute," noted Pleitgen, adding, "you certainly also see that the Russian military is on the ground here, and certainly at least seems to be in a position to be able to strike at any point in time if Vladimir Putin chooses to order that.

" Russia has issued a notice banning civil aircraft from flight routes bordering north-eastern Ukraine.

Russia issued a NOTAM (notice to airmen or notice to air missions) that covers a corridor of territory where Russian forces have gathered over the past weeks.

The NOTAM remains in force until May 18.

  Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country has no need for war but added that if attacked, his nation will defend itself.

"We have no need for another Cold War, or a bloody war, or a hybrid war," Zelensky said in an address posted on his official Facebook account early Thursday local time.

"But if we are attacked militarily, if they try to take away our freedom, our lives, our children's' lives, we will defend ourselves," the Ukrainian president added, in a speech in Russian, aimed at Russian citizens.

"When you attack, you will see our faces and not our spines, our faces.

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" Zelensky called war a "terrible misfortune.

" He said he was ready to continue diplomatic talks with Russia and argued that Ukraine does not pose a threat to Russia.

  "They say that Ukraine may pose a threat to Russia.

This wasn't a case in the past, nor is it now, and won't be in the future," he said.

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"Our main goal is to maintain peace in Ukraine and keep Ukrainian citizens safe.

For this we are prepared to hold discussions with everyone, including you [Russia], in whatever format you like at whatever venue.

" "Russian TV will surely not show this video, but the Russian people must watch it.

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The truth must be known.

And that truth is that this all needs to stop now, before its too late," Zelensky said.

"If the leadership of Russia does not want to sit at the table with us to make peace, perhaps it will sit at the table with you.

Does Russia want a war? I would very much like an answer to this question.

But that answer depends only on you, citizens of the Russian Federation," he said.

Watch part of President Zelenskys speech: The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday night related to Russia at the request of Ukraine.

The meeting, which is scheduled for 9:30 p.

ET, is expected to be open, though CNN is working on further details.

"Ukraine has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council due to the appeal by Russian occupation administrations in Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia with a request to provide them with military assistance, which is a further escalation of the security situation," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted earlier in the evening.

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 Read the tweet: Russia is "putting the final touches" on having forces in places for a "full-on invasion," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, and said the US has "certainly seen the presence of Russian forces inside of Ukraine.

"  Blinken did not elaborate on the Russian forces he said they have seen inside Ukraine.

In an interview with ABC News, Blinken said he couldn't give "specific numbers," but "everything weve seen over the last 24 to 48 hours has Russia of putting the final touches on having its forces in place across all of Ukraines borders, to the north, to the east, to the south, to be ready for a full-on invasion.

"  Blinken pushed back on the notion that a Russian invasion into Ukraine would be a failure of US diplomacy during an interview with the CBS Evening News.

  "Diplomacy succeeded very effectively in bringing the world together, the United States and Europe together in standing up to Russian aggression," Blinken said He also held out hope that the threat of further costs could still prevent President Putin from going forth with a full-scale invasion.

"Weve made it clear that if Russia continues to escalate, if it engages in a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, beyond what its already doing, we will escalate to and I hope that that knowledge may still act as a deterrent," Blinken said.

He warned of the long-term costs to Putin if the invasion happens.

"It doesnt deter Putin from further aggression to Ukraine," he said, referring to joint action by the US and its allies, "there will be a very swift and severe response.

This is a price that Vladimir Putin and Russia will pay for a long, long time.

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" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the trigger for a Russian invasion can happen "any minute," during an address posted on his official Facebook account early Thursday local time.

"The whole world is saying this can happen any day now.

The trigger can appear any minute," he said, addressing Russians in Russian.

"You are being told this fire will free the Ukrainian people.

But Ukrainian people are free.

" "Ukraine in your news and Ukraine in reality are two different countries.

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Their main difference between them is that ours is real," Zelensky added.

Zelensky went on to reject accusations that Ukrainians were neo-Nazis and hated Russian culture.

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"You are being told we are Nazis.

How can a nation that gave 8 million lives to combat Nazism support it? How can I be a Nazi? Tell my grandpa about that," Zelensky said.

"He was, through the whole war, in the infantry of the Soviet Army and died as a colonel in independent Ukraine.

" "You are being told we hate the Russian culture? How can someone hate culture? Any culture? Neighbors always enrich one another culturally, but that does not make them one, does not dissolve us in you," the Ukrainian president went on to say.

"We are different.

But it is not a reason to be enemies.

" Zelensky concluded: "We want to determine our history by ourselves.

In peace, calm and honesty.

"   Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian leadership has approved a military incursion into Ukraine, according to an address posted to his official Facebook account in early hours Thursday local time.

"I want to address all the Russian citizens.

Not as a President.

I address Russian citizens as a citizen of Ukraine," Zelensky said in Russian.

 "There are over 2000 km of common border between us.

Your army is along that border now.

Almost 200,000 soldiers.

Thousands of military vehicles.

" Zelensky added: "Your leadership approved for them to take a step further, to the territory of another country.

" The Ukraine president concluded, "This step can become a beginning of a great war at the European continent.

" The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says its mission in eastern Ukraine was threatened and harassed on Wednesday by militia of the self-declared Luhansk Peoples Republic.

The OSCE said its team of monitors "was approached by two armed members of the armed formations," some 6 miles from the line of contact which divides separatist and Ukrainian forces as it was about to launch a surveillance drone (UAV).

"Armed formations" is the term the OSCE uses to describe the separatist militia in Donetsk and Luhansk.

"The patrol members also saw a third individual, wearing a uniform with a Russian Federation flag patch on his shoulder," the OSCE said.

At a second location, "patrol members saw a green Lada approaching at speed with two armed members of the armed formations who were shouting at the patrol and threatening to destroy the UAV.

" At a third location, one of the separatists "loaded his rifle.

Another forcibly took the UAV's control panel.

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" The UAV was lost, the OSCE said.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says he tried to call Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday but was unsuccessful, he said in an address posted on his official Facebook account in the early hours of Thursday local time.

"Today I initiated a telephone conversation with the President of the Russian Federation.

Silence.

Although there should be silence in the Donbas," Zelensky said.

Vice President Kamala Harris threatened further sanctions on Russia for the country's aggressive actions in Ukraine if "Russia goes further" in the region, calling the situation on the ground a "reinvasion.

" "As you know, we have imposed significant costs in response to Russia's reinvasion of Ukraine, and we are working closely with our partners and allies in that regard," the vice president said, ahead of a meeting with leaders from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators on Wednesday.

  She warned the "threat of a full-scale attack on Ukraine remains," and added that the administration would "remain vigilant in watching what is happening there" "If Russia goes further," Harris said, "we will impose more costs that will be swift and severe.

" Last week: Harris vowed there would be a "swift, severe and united" response if Russia invades Ukraine and assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the US "stands with Ukraine," as CNN reported.

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  In remarks at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Harris laid out retaliatory measures in a manner befitting her past career as a prosecutor, promising "significant and unprecedented" economic costs.

"We will impose far-reaching financial sanctions and export controls.

We will target Russias financial institutions and key industries.

And we will target those who are complicit and those who aid and abet this unprovoked invasion," Harris said as she took center stage at the security conference.

A data-wiping hacking tool was found on hundreds of computers in Ukraine Wednesday, according to cybersecurity researchers, raising concerns that a destructive cyberattack was unfolding as the Russian military moved into Ukraine's separatist regions.

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    It wasn't immediately clear who was responsible for the hacking incident, which followed a different cyberattack earlier Wednesday on Ukrainian government websites.

 The Ukrainian government did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

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The so-called "wiper" malware discovered Wednesday is typically designed to delete data from computers and render them inoperable.

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  "We are aware of multiple commercial and government organizations in Ukraine impacted by the destructive malware today," Charles Carmakal, senior vice president and chief technology officer for cybersecurity firm Mandiant, told CNN.

The hack hit at least one Ukrainian financial institution and one Ukrainian government contractor with a presence in Latvia, Vikram Thakur, technical director at Broadcom's cybersecurity unit Symantec, told CNN.

  The malicious code affected "large organizations" in Ukraine, according to cybersecurity firm ESET, which has multiple clients in the country.

The hacking tool appears to have been created two months ago, but "was deployed only today and we have seen it only in Ukraine," said Jean-Ian Boutin, head of threat research ESET.

  US officials have warned that Russia will very likely use cyber operations in conjunction with military action in Ukraine.

The White House blamed Russia's military intelligence directorate, the GRU, for a separate set of cyberattacks on Ukrainian websites last week.

New satellite imagery gathered Wednesday show a number of new deployments among Russian forces, especially in and around the Belgorod region, which is adjacent to the Ukrainian border.

  Maxar Technologies says that "many of the deployments seen on today's imagery are within 10 miles of the border with Ukraine and less than 50 miles from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

"  It confirmed its previous observations that "most of the troops and equipment are now field-deployed — positioned in smaller unit-sized formations in farmland and along tree lines.

" The images released by Maxar show field deployment and military convoys in and around Golovchino, approximately 10 miles north of the border with Ukraine.

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A battle group (armored personnel carriers with support equipment, troops) is deployed near Krasnaya Yaruga, approximately 9 miles east of the border with Ukraine.

  Troops and support equipment are observed deployed along tree lines near Kupino, approximately 11 miles north of the border, and artillery, troops and logistics deployment are seen near Malakeevo, approximately 20 miles north of the border with Ukraine.

CNN has geolocated social media videos in several of these areas in recent days, showing Russian armor, trucks and other equipment at the side of roads or moving in convoy.

  The mayor of Kyiv, Vitaly Klitschko, has declared an emergency for the Ukrainian capital effective midnight local time.

In a message posted on his official Telegram channel, he said an "operational headquarters has been set up to coordinate the actions of the executive branch, the military command and law enforcement agencies.

"  This would include, if necessary, the introduction of a curfew and a special entry and exit regime, and if required the restriction of the movement of vehicles.

Klitschko said the measures would also include "strengthening the protection of public order and facilities that ensure the life of the city" as well as the prohibition of mass events and protests, and of the "production and distribution of information materials that may destabilize the situation.

" Military "conscripts and reservists are prohibited from changing their place of residence without notifying the relevant authorities," the message also said.

Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's border is now "at a state of readiness where they could attack at any time," Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said during an on-camera briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday.

Kirby stressed that if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to fully invade Ukraine, it will be a "war of choice" and "it won't be bloodless.

"  "There will be suffering," Kirby added.

"There will be sacrifice.

And all of that must and should be laid at his feet.

Because he's doing this by choice.

" Kirby said Russia has continued to make no indication that he's willing to de-escalate the conflict, instead the Pentagon has seen "quite the opposite.

" "We've seen sadly and unfortunately no indication that he's willing to de-escalate, move those troops back home, and actually get to some sort of serious diplomatic solution, every indication rather that we see is quite the opposite," Kirby said.

Kirby said if Putin chooses war, he'll be doing so with "diplomacy and options still left on the table.

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" The heads of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), two separatist regions in Ukraine, recently recognized by Russia as independent, have formally asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for help repelling the aggression of Ukrainian Armed Forces, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti on Wednesday.

"The president of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin received letters of appeal from the head of the Luhansk Peoples Republic Leonid Pasechnik and the head of the Donetsk Peoples Republic Denis Pushilin," Peskov said, according to RIA.

  According to Peskov, the appeal said: "Kyiv continues to build up its military presence on the line of contact, while receiving comprehensive support, including military support, from the United States and other Western states.

The Kyiv regime is focused on resolving the conflict by force.

" "Given the foregoing, the heads of the two republics, in connection with the current situation, as well as in order to prevent civilian casualties and a humanitarian catastrophe, on the basis of Articles 3 and 4 of the treaties on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between the Russian Federation and the republics, ask the president of Russia to assist in repelling aggression of the armed forces and formations of Ukraine," Peskov added, according to RIA.

The heads of the two separatist regions claimed that citizens were fleeing from the area "due to the aggravation of the situation and threats from Kyiv.

" "The actions of the Kyiv regime testify to the unwillingness to end the war in Donbas," the appeal said, according to Peskov.

Russias parliament has given consent for the deployment of Russian troops on foreign territory in connection with the Donbas conflict.

The Pentagon believes that "additional Russian military forces are moving into" the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, press secretary John Kirby said during an on-camera briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday.

CNN reported earlier that Russian troops have moved into the pro-Moscow eastern region of Ukraine that Russia has now recognized as "independent," according to the prime minister of NATO member Latvia and sources familiar with US intelligence.

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  "According to the information at my disposal, Putin is moving additional forces and tanks into the occupied Donbas territories," Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš told CNN on Wednesday.

"By any definition that's a crossing of a sovereign territory into a neighboring country.

" Kirby said the Pentagon could not confirm specifics on the number of Russian troops that have moved into these two regions "what the formations are, what the capabilities are," but said the Pentagon believes that Russian troops are moving in.

"We can't confirm with any great specificity the numbers, and what the formations are, what the capabilities are, but we certainly believe that that's happening," Kirby said.

Some context: Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the Donetsk and Luhansk separatist regions of Ukraine as independent states on Monday.

The move was met with widespread condemnation from NATO countries and the US.

The small group of US diplomats who have remained in Ukraine are continuing to sleep in Poland and then commute back to Lviv, Ukraine, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday that "for security reasons, Department of State personnel currently in Lviv will spend the night in Poland" amid fears of Russian military action in Ukraine.

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"Our personnel will regularly return to continue their diplomatic work in Ukraine and provide emergency consular services.

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 They will continue to support the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian government, coordinating on diplomatic efforts," Blinken said in a statement.

At the State Department briefing Wednesday, Price said the diplomats "have been spending the night in Poland but they have been regularly, essentially commuting back into Lviv," a city in the west of Ukraine.

Price said that charge daffaires Kristina Kvien "has been leading the team back on the ground in Lviv.

" "We have every expectation that they will continue to do so as long as the security environment remains permissive," he said.

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"When theyre on the ground in Lviv theyre able to undertake emergency consular services to help Americans who may be seeking to leave the country.

They are engaging with our Ukrainian partners, and they have important missions that theyre able to fulfill in Lviv," Price continued.

"But regardless of whether theyre in Lviv, whether they are in Poland, that in no way changes the commitment we have to our Ukrainian partners, and in no way diminishes the partnership we have with Kyiv," he said.

The leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), a pro-Moscow region in eastern Ukraine, suggested on Wednesday that the best option for the Donbas region would be if Ukrainian military forces were to withdraw.

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  "The question is what to do with the accumulation of the military equipment, personnel, weapons that are on the other side of the line of contact, the armed formation of Ukraine.

What to do with it? Do they have to voluntarily leave?" Denis Pushilin questioned in an interview on "Soloviev Live," a Russian propaganda show broadcast on Youtube.

"The best option for them to leave the territory voluntarily and take their weapons with them," Pushilin concluded.

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The leader of the so-called DPR laid the blame on the government in Kyiv for the failure of the Minsk agreements.

"It was possible to end the situation in a completely different way, but Ukraine refused to do so," he said.

"Now there are no Minsk agreements, the Donetsk and Luhansk republics are recognized.

" Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine after recognizing their independence on Monday.

About two-thirds of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions remain under the control of the Ukrainian government.

  After he gave remarks at the United Nations, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin all assured him that the "United States will stand by Ukraine, whatever happens.

" Biden, Blinken, Austin, and Kuleba all met in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, and the Ukrainian foreign minister spoke to reporters outside the General Assembly chamber after his remarks at the UN in New York City today.

Kuleba said the American leaders also assured him that the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with defensive weapons to build out their military capacity and that they would place more sanctions on Russia.

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  "I would like to assure you that we would be happy if we never have to pick up those weapons and use them in the battlefield.

We want peace.

But if Russia attacks, we have to be equipped to fight back," Kuleba said.

"We appreciate for example, the sanctions which were already imposed … but this is not enough.

And our partners should not wait for Russian rockets to hit Ukrainian soil or Russian planes to cross into our airspace.

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" He added that he "cannot fully be satisfied" until "the last Russian soldier withdraws from Ukrainian territory.

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"  Kuleba also called Russian criticism of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' statements on the conflict "unprecedented" and asserted that in doing so, Russia wants the United Nations to "become obsolete.

"  "Today, Russia openly attacked the secretary-general of the United Nations, and by doing so, it demonstrated that it attacks the United Nations at a whole.

And I believe that all member states who share the principles of this organization in good faith, should stand by Ukraine, and should stand by secretary-general," Kuleba said.

"If the United Nations tolerates such an attack, it will be only the United Nations who will suffer the most and…who will end up discredited and un-respected.

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"  The Ukrainian ambassador said he believes Guterres should continue to lead and that members of the United Nations should consider their "entire toolkit," particularly those actions that do not require approval of the United Nations Security Council — of which Russia is a permanent member.

Kuleba said actions such as increasing humanitarian efforts in the Donbas region could be among the tools the UN utilizes.

    CNN's Laura Studley contributed reporting to this post.

##Sanctions## US President Biden formally announced new sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG, a registered Swiss firm whose parent company is the Russian gas giant Gazprom, and its corporate officers.

"These steps are another piece of our initial tranche of sanctions in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine.

As I have made clear, we will not hesitate to take further steps if Russia continues to escalate," the President wrote in a statement.

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The President also applauded Germany's decision Tuesday to halt certification of the pipeline, writing, "Through his actions, President Putin has provided the world with an overwhelming incentive to move away from Russian gas and to other forms of energy.

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I want to thank Chancellor Scholz for his close partnership and continued dedication to holding Russia accountable for its actions.

" Earlier today, CNN reported that Biden administration was expected to announce that it would allow sanctions to move forward on the company in charge of building Russias Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, after blocking such sanctions last year using a national security waiver.

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World War 3 Beta Packs

##Nord Stream 2## ##Sanctions## The Swiss government said on Wednesday that it will ensure the country is not used to get around the sanctions the European Union imposed on Russia.

  "Switzerland will not be used as a platform to circumnavigate sanctions imposed by the EU.

It will therefore examine the sanctions and then come to a decision.

The Swiss authorities are in constant contact with several countries to exchange intelligence on the current situation," the government said in a statement.

  Switzerland may adopt compulsory measures to enforce sanctions adopted by the United Nations, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe or the countrys main trading partners in order to ensure compliance with international law, in particular respect for human rights, the statement added.

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  ##Sanctions## US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Wednesday, and the two "condemned the Russian Federation's decision to recognize the so-called 'independence' of the purported republics controlled by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine and send Russian troops to these areas as a 'peacekeeping' force," according to a State Department readout.

Russian troops have moved into the eastern region of Ukraine that Russia has now recognized as "independent," according the prime minister of Latvia — a NATO member — and sources familiar with US intelligence.

  According to the readout, Blinken and Truss also "discussed the extensive bilateral coordination on developing and executing swift and severe economic measures against Russia.

" Multiple countries, including the US and UK, have imposed sanctions on Russia.

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US sanctions included the family members of those in Russian President Vladimir Putins inner circle.

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The Biden administration is expected to announce on Wednesday that it will allow sanctions to move forward on the company in charge of building Russias Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, after blocking such sanctions last year using a national security waiver.

The United States ambassador warned the world at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that Russia's actions in Ukraine could create one of the largest refugee crises facing the world today and that the country's "aggression" threatens international security and community.

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  "If Russia continues down this path, it could – according to our estimates – create a new refugee crisis, one of the largest facing the world today, with as many as five million more people displaced by Russia's war of choice and putting pressure on Ukraine's neighbors," Amb.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.

"The tidal waves of suffering this war will cause are unthinkable," she said.

Thomas-Greenfield said that Russian officials have not heeded calls for diplomacy and that calling for de-escalation on both sides of the conflict allows Russia to continue its campaign.

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  "Has Russia headed these calls [for diplomacy]? No.

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 Instead, it has responded with additional actions to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty, including mass disinformation, which we just heard again today, cyberattacks, and efforts to create a false flag pretext," Thomas-Greenfield said.

"Colleagues, there is no middle ground.

Calling for both sides to deescalate only gives Russia a pass.

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Russia is the aggressor here.

" Thomas-Greenfield once again said that "Russia's aggression not only threatens all of Ukraine, but every member state and the UN itself.

" She referenced comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding an "age of empires" and alleged that Putin will use force to "make a farce of the United Nations.

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" "The United States rejects that firmly.

 This is 2022.

Were not going back to an era of empires and colonies – or to the USSR or the Soviet Union.

We have moved forward," Thomas-Greenfield said.

"Colleagues, now is not the time to sit on the sidelines.

 Now is the time to get off of the sidelines.

Let us show Russia that it is isolated and alone in its aggressive actions.

 Let us stand fully behind the principles of sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity for Ukraine, and for all member states.

" CNN's Laura Studley contributed reporting to this post.

Russian military capabilities along the Ukraine border are "near 100% of all forces" that the Pentagon anticipated Russian President Vladimir Putin would move into the area, a senior US defense official said during an off-camera briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday.

"He is near 100% of all the forces that we anticipated that he would move in.

He is getting near at 100%," the senior defense official said.

Putin has a "full range of capabilities" already moved to the Ukraine border, including "significant offensive missile capability," the senior defense official said.

  "He has more than two dozen war ships in the Black Sea.

The majority of them are surface combatants," the senior defense official said.

"He has a cruise missile capability; he's got ballistic missile capability arrayed.

He's got armor, artillery, certainly infantry; he's got special forces.

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" Eighty percent of Russian forces amassed on Ukraine's border are "in what we would consider forward positions, ready to go," a senior defense official told reporters during an off-camera briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday.

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Russian military forces "arrayed around Ukraine and Belarus are as ready as they can be," for an invasion, the senior defense official added.

Last week, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Russian troops were "uncoiling," and "today they are uncoiled,�� the official added.

  The troops are "pretty close" to the Ukrainian border, some "as little as five kilometers," the official said.

Five kilometers is roughly three miles.

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Veronica, 9, will remember the day for the rest of her life.

On Monday, a shell landed in her living room.

Mercifully, she and her parents were in their kitchen, a separate building, when it struck.

The explosive ripped out the bathroom wall, and stripped the ground floor to its foundation.

The concrete panels holding up the second floor now sag — theyre on the verge of collapse.

The wooden staircase to the bedrooms trembles underfoot.

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Veronica's room is strewn with detritus, its windows shattered by the shockwave.

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The overriding fear for the people here in Novoluhanske, in eastern Ukraine, is not a full Russian invasion, but an escalation of the shelling they have already been living with for eight years.

They live in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the Donetsk Oblast, or region.

Just a few hundred meters from here are the frontiers with the Russian-backed breakaway enclaves.

The bombardment coming from those territories in the past five days is the worst the residents of this village have ever seen.

On the same day Veronica's home was attacked, a shell landed in Roman Shirokiy's driveway around the corner.

He had heard the shelling, and was moving his car into the garage, hoping to shield it.

The shrapnel ripped through his body, and he was killed.

He couldn't be buried in his hometown, because the Novoluhanske cemetery was surrounded years ago by the fighting on the "contact line" — the frontline that separates pro-Russian rebels from Ukrainian forces — and is too dangerous to use.

His wife wailed uncontrollably as he was laid to rest in the neighboring village.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has now declared that this village — and all of the Ukrainian-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts — is part of two new, independent countries.

The drama and uncertainty of that decision only amplifies the abandonment felt by the people of Novoluhanske.

The United States has issued a new warning to the Ukrainian government that the latest intelligence points to a full-scale Russian invasion imminently, according to Ukrainian, US and Western officials familiar with the matter.

   The new warning was conveyed on Tuesday morning local Kyiv time, according to three of the sources.

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A senior Ukrainian official said Ukraine has not verified the intelligence and noted that the United States has issued similar warnings before for assaults that ultimately did not materialize.

NATO allies have been given a similar intelligence assessment warning of an imminent attack, according to a NATO military official.

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The official cautions that "no one knows for sure" what Putin is going to do.

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News of the warning comes as the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a state of emergency to be imposed across the country starting at midnight tonight in Ukraine.

Of particular concern, the US warned, is the major northeastern city of Kharkiv, according to the senior Ukrainian official and a Western official familiar with the intelligence.

 The Ukrainian foreign minister said on Tuesday there were no plans to evacuate the city.

  "We do not have such plans," Dmytro Kuleba said during a press conference in Washington alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Social media videos geolocated and analyzed by CNN over the past several days show a continuing buildup of armor and support vehicles massing less than 30 kilometers (about 18 miles) across the border in Russia.

US officials have said that they anticipate both a ground invasion and airstrikes should Russia launch an attack.

"Russian missiles and bombs will drop across Ukraine.

 Communications will be jammed.

 Cyberattacks will shut down key Ukrainian institutions," Blinken said last week before the UN Security Council, describing how the US believed a Russian attack on Ukraine would unfold.

"After that, Russian tanks and soldiers will advance on key targets that have already been identified and mapped out in detailed plans.

" Newsweek first reported this story.

In its latest statement on violations of the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, the countrys defense ministry said that territory under Ukrainian control had been shelled 59 times from the self-declared republics of Luhansk and Donetsk as of 5 p.

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local time on Wednesday.

Of those incidents, 54 involved weapons prohibited under the Minsk agreement, which stipulate that heavy weapons should not be within 50 kilometers of the front lines.

  One Ukrainian service member was killed and another injured, according to the ministry.

  On Tuesday, the ministry recorded 80 violations.

There are further indications that Russia continues to concentrate forces along the border with Ukraine, despite assertions from Moscow more than a week ago that many units would be returning to their permanent bases after exercises.

Social media videos geolocated and analyzed by CNN over the past several days show a continuing buildup of armor and support vehicles in two regions: around the Russian city of Belgorod and the town of Valuyki.

Both are within 30 kilometers (about 18 miles) of Ukraines northeastern border, beyond which lies the major city of Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Dozens of stationary tanks and howitzers — along with other armor — could be observed in fields near Belgorod.

Other videos showed a long column of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles parked beside a road between Belgorod and the Ukrainian border.

Some of the formations appear to be considerably larger than those observed last week.

Some units have been moving at night, according to videos from the Belgorod area.

  In addition, fresh satellite images show that just west of Belgorod, a new field hospital has been constructed at a military site.

 Southwest of the city, additional troops and equipment are seen in satellite images.

  Russian military ambulances and transports have also been identified in areas near the Ukrainian border, as seen in videos posted to social media that CNN has been able to authenticate and geolocate.

In one of the videos, the ambulances are seen stationed in a wooded area near a park in Shebekino, Russia, less than five miles from the Ukrainian border.

  Ambulances have also been seen on the move as part of convoys in the Kursk areas, within 50 miles of the border.

New satellite images from Maxar Technologies show that in recent days, additional troops, vehicles and logistics infrastructure have also been deployed to Belarus.

At an airfield just southwest of Mazyr, in southern Belarus, dozens of tents and vehicles have appeared in recent days.

 A satellite image from Feb.

4 shows the area was completely vacant.

 That airfield is just under 40 kilometers (about 24 miles) from Ukraines northern border.

Additionally, social media videos showed a substantial number of attack helicopters in southern Belarus near the city of Gomel.

Their current whereabouts are unknown.

Between a week and 10 days ago, there was a flurry of announcements from Moscow, often accompanied by Russian Defense Ministry video that was sometimes contradictory, about units in the vicinity of Ukraine returning to base after exercises.

But there have been no further announcements since.

European Council President Charles Michel has called an emergency summit on Ukraine to be held on Thursday in Brussels.

In a letter to EU member states viewed by CNN on Wednesday, Michel invited representatives to a "special European Council on Thursday 24 February.

" The summit is set to be an in-person meeting and is expected to begin at 8 p.

local time (2 p.

  "I would like us to discuss: the latest developments, how we protect the rules-based international order, how we deal with Russia notably holding Russia accountable for its actions, how we will further support Ukraine and its people," Michel told member states.

  Michel condemned the "aggressive actions" taken by Russia, which he stressed violate international law, the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and "undermine the European security order.

" "It is important that we continue to be united and determined and jointly define our collective approach and actions," Michel said.

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  On Wednesday afternoon, the European Council announced that it had "adopted a package of measures" responding to Russias decision to recognize separatist-held parts of eastern Ukraine.

Paris city hall will display the colors of the Ukrainian flag on Wednesday night to show solidarity with the country, the mayors office said in a statement.

  "The city of Paris wishes to show its support for the Ukrainian people and democracy by illuminating the city hall with the colors of Ukraine tonight," the statement read.

The display will happen at 6:45 p.

local time (12:45 p.

ET), it said, adding that the German capital of Berlin will also light up the Brandenburg Gate at the same time.

"[This action] marks the necessary solidarity and unity that Europe must show in this conflict, while war threatens our continent," according to the statement.

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Ukraine's parliament is currently "dealing with a cyberattack" on its website, a member of its parliamentary press team confirmed to CNN Wednesday.

  Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov also said in his Telegram channel Wednesday that another mass distributed denial of service attack began at about 4 p.

According to Fedorov, the DDoS attack was reported by a number of banks, and there have been problems with access to government websites.

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This is due to the switching of traffic to another provider to minimize the damage from the attack.

  Internet monitor NetBlocks tweeted that Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Security Service and Cabinet office websites have been "impacted by network disruptions.

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" "The incident appears consistent with recent DDoS attacks," NetBlocks added.

  More background: On Feb.

16, a high-volume cyberattack that temporarily blocked access to the websites of Ukrainian defense agencies and banks was "the largest [such attack] in the history of Ukraine," according to a government minister.

Russian troops have moved into the eastern region of Ukraine that Russia has now recognized as "independent," according to the Prime Minister of NATO member Latvia and sources familiar with the latest US intelligence assessments.

Read more about why the Donbas region is at the heart of the crisis.

Take a look at this map of the area: ##Catch Up## Russian troops have moved into the eastern region of Ukraine that Russia has now recognized as "independent," according the prime minister of NATO member Latvia and sources familiar with US intelligence.

  "According to the information at my disposal, Putin is moving additional forces and tanks into the occupied Donbas territories," Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš told CNN's Jim Sciutto on Wednesday.

" Pressed specifically on whether he was referring to the entry of additional Russian troops since Moscow recognized the two separatist regions earlier this week, Kariņš replied: "Yes, according to the information at my disposal, this is exactly what we're seeing.

" Two other sources familiar with US intelligence confirmed to CNN that additional Russian troops have in fact crossed the border into the Donbas region since Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the two regions and issued an order deploying "peacekeepers" into the Donbas on Tuesday.

Russia has deployed one to two so-called battalion tactical groups, Russia's main combat formation, each of which comprise an average of about 800 troops, according to a senior US official familiar with the latest intelligence.

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CNN has not independently verified the presence of additional Russian troops in the Donbas.

  US President Joe Biden on Tuesday described events now underway in Ukraine as "the beginning of a Russian invasion," but senior administration officials have since declined to confirm whether additional Russian troops had entered into the Donbas — where unmarked Russian forces have propping up separatist fighters since 2014.

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  On a phone call with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his "disappointment" in the reaction by the United States and NATO.

"Putin expressed his disappointment with the reaction of the United States and NATO, which amounted to an attempt to ignore legitimate Russian concerns and demands," a statement by the Russian Presidency said.

Erdogan reiterated Turkey's stance on rejecting the steps taken by Putin against Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Turkish presidency said.

Putin discussed "the theme of the development of long-term legal security guarantees for the Russian Federation" and "emphasized the objective necessity of the decision taken in the face of the aggression of the Ukrainian authorities in Donbas and their categorical refusal to comply with the Minsk agreements," according to the Russian Presidency readout of the phone call.

The Turkish presidential statement said that Erdogan told Putin that "a military conflict will not benefit anyone" and that it will only make things more complex, adding that "it is important to reach a conclusion on the basis of the Minsk Agreements.

" On Tuesday, Erdogan denounced Putin's decision to recognize breakaway eastern Ukrainian territories, calling it "unacceptable.

" The Biden administration is expected to announce on Wednesday that it will allow sanctions to move forward on the company in charge of building Russias Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, after blocking such sanctions last year using a national security waiver.

  The move, described by three US officials, is part of a series of penalties the US and its allies have imposed on Russia this week in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recognition of separatist territories in eastern Ukraine as independent.

  The administration decided to move forward with rescinding the national security waiver after Germany on Tuesday announced that it was halting the certification of the pipeline, the official said.

Sanctioning Nord Stream 2's parent company, Nord Stream 2 AG—a registered Swiss firm whose parent company is the Russian gas giant Gazprom—is effectively a death knell to the project, the official added.

  The move marks a significant shift in the administration's policy toward Nord Stream 2, which had previously been to sanction some of the smaller entities involved in the project— including some Russian companies and ships that have been helping in the construction—but to hold off on sanctioning Nord Stream 2 AG and its CEO, Matthias Warnig.

US President Joe Biden and the State Department's top energy official Amos Hochstein, who has been in charge of the diplomacy surrounding Nord Stream, had long been opposed to the project.

But the concern was that imposing the harshest penalties on it would crater the US' relationship with Germany, which insisted the pipeline was just a commercial project.

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But now that Germany — after intensive diplomacy with the US — has agreed to halt the pipeline's certification indefinitely, the US feels freer to allow the congressionally-mandated sanctions to move forward.

Essentially, the administration wanted Germany to decide on its own to halt the pipeline before moving forward with more punishing sanctions on the project, the official explained.

The move is likely to be met with bipartisan support — Democratic and Republican lawmakers have long seen the pipeline as a potential threat to Europe because Russia has used its control over energy supplies to pressure countries in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, by shutting off those supplies, even in winter months.

  Concern in Congress about the pipeline has been acute enough that lawmakers passed legislation with significant bipartisan majorities in 2019, then expanded it in 2020, requiring sanctions against Nord Stream 2.

The administration, last year, waived the toughest sanctions, on Nord Stream 2 AG and its CEO, on national security grounds, prompting Republican Sen.

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Ted Cruz to hold up dozens of Biden's nominees to top national security and ambassador posts.

  CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment.

Read more about Nord Stream 2 and why it matters.

##Nord Stream 2## ##Sanctions## French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned of additional European sanctions on Russia, but noted that the European Union is still hopeful there can be further dialogue toward a "peaceful ending" to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

  "The first packet of sanction are serious; they will hurt," Le Drian said.

"There will be other packets.

" The foreign minister's remarks echo that of France's Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who warned Wednesday that European leaders have "infinitely more penalizing" sanctions at their disposal to impose on Russia in an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV.

  The European Union on Tuesday said it would sanction all 351 lawmakers of the Russian lower house, the Duma, who voted in favor of recognizing the independence of the separatist-controlled Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic.

Addressing reporters in Berlin on Wednesday, Le Drian warned that "anything is possible, even the worst," but stressed that there is still time for negotiations.

  "There's a space of discussion that will continue to be open for the peaceful ending the Ukrainian crisis," the French foreign minister said.

  Speaking alongside Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said European leaders and partners "want to avert war" but will take a hardline approach to Russia if needed.

  "We do not want a war in Europe, and it is on Russia to take back these steps," Baerbock said.

  "We kept making clear that we will take all hard measures if necessary," she added.

   ##Sanctions## The European Union is planning on sanctioning the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Kremlin-backed Internet Research Agency (IRA), according to a senior EU diplomat.

   The diplomat told CNN Wednesday that the sanctioning of the defense minister and agency should "be a done deal.

"   All that remains is for the sanctions to be formalized "through written procedure," and then they should be published and enter into force later on Wednesday, the diplomat said, though nothing will be official until formally announced.

   The diplomat hailed it as "an impressive feat" to have coordinated these sanctions between the 27 member states in "such a short timeframe.

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"  The Wall Street Journal first reported the blocs plan to sanction Shoigu and the agency.

   Some background: In 2019, then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller in his Russian investigation report outlined how the IRA engaged in a years-long campaign to sow discord in the US, and eventually to support the election of Donald Trump, by creating and maintaining fake social media personas and activist organizations designed to look like they were run by real Americans.

The troll group also successfully used fake accounts on Twitter to provoke reactions from high-profile American users from across the political spectrum.

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In 2020, former President Donald Trump confirmed the US conducted a covert cyberattack in 2018 against the IRA.

A CNN investigation in 2020 discovered that at least part of the IRAs campaign was outsourced to trolls in Ghana and Nigeria.

They focused almost exclusively on racial issues in the US, promoting Black empowerment and often displaying anger toward white Americans.

The goal, according to experts who follow Russian disinformation campaigns, was to inflame divisions among Americans and provoke social unrest.

##Sanctions## When you walk into 9-year-old Veronicas bedroom in Novoluhanske, Ukraine, youll see all her stuffed toys — teddy bears, a tiger and others.

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A warm sight if it wasnt for the shattered window of her bedroom in a house that was destroyed by an artillery shell.

Shelling of Ukrainian territory from areas controlled by separatists has risen dramatically in the past day, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said last week.

"Luckily, she was in the kitchen, lying on the floor, when these shells landed.

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But it could have been so much worse — truly almost a miraculous survival," CNN reported Sam Kiley said as he surveyed the house.

Watch the full report here: The new US sanctions triggered by Russians latest actions in Ukraine included targets that in the past have gone untouched: the family members of those in Russian President Vladimir Putins inner circle.

By designating the sons of two powerful players close to the Russian President, the Biden administration sent a clear signal that its target list for individual sanctions extends beyond public officials and financiers as part of a new effort to shut down pathways for top Putin associates to shield their wealth by giving it to family members.

Denis Bortnikov and Vladimir Kiriyenko, both designated for individual sanctions by the Treasury Department on Tuesday, hold their own prominent positions in Russian business.

But both will now have any US-held assets frozen and be barred from dealing with any US persons solely because their fathers serve as Putins domestic intelligence chief and as one of Putins closest advisers, respectively.

"They share in the corrupt gains of the Kremlin policies and should share in the pain as well," Biden said Tuesday.

Sanctioning the sons of two of Putins closest officials doesnt carry the impact of other measures announced on Tuesday, most notably imposing sanctions on two of Russias most prominent banks and reducing the countrys ability to access Western finance.

But they are meant to unsettle a very personal element of the Russian economy, one driven by the reality that Putins inner circle and the family members tied to them represent an extraordinary consolidation of wealth and power inside the country.

"This is unprecedented because we are extending the reach of US sanctions to prevent the elites close to Putin from using their kids to hide assets, evade costs, and squander the resources of the Russian people," a senior Biden administration official told CNN.

"This is a new approach.

" It is clear, officials say, that the opening salvo of that approach is unlikely to be the last.

The sanctions are aimed at "powerful Russians in Putins inner circle believed to be participating in the Russian regimes kleptocracy and their family members," according to the Treasury Department.

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Denis Bortnikov is the son of Aleksandr Bortnikov, the powerful head of the Federal Security Service, Russias domestic intelligence service known as the FSB.

The elder Bortnikov, already subject to sanctions in March of last year, was re-designated for sanctions in the new round.

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Vladimir Kiriyenko is the son of Sergei Kiriyenko, the former prime minister and current first deputy chief of staff of the presidential office who is viewed by US officials as "Putins domestic policy curator.

" The elder Kiriyenko, also sanctioned in 2021, was also re-designated for sanctions on Tuesday.

The re-designations were necessary to create the legal pathway to target their sons for designation, which freezes all property and interests in property in the US, or in possession or control of a US citizen.

The two sons currently hold prominent roles of their own — Bortnikov as deputy president of VTB Bank, one of Russias largest financial institutions, and Kiriyenko as the recently installed CEO of VK Group, which serves as the parent company of the Russian social media company VK, which calls itself "the largest European social network.

" A third sanctioned individual, Petr Fradkov, serves as the CEO of Promsvyazbank, the military bank also targeted for sanctions on Tuesday.

But he, too, carries a key familial tie to the upper echelons of Putins orbit.

Fradkov is the son of Mikhail Fradkov, an ex-prime minister of Russia and the former chief of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR.

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The elder Fradkov was targeted for sanctions by the US in 2018.

Read more about the sanctions here.

##Sanctions## The White House said Wednesday to expect additional sanctions on Russia, suggesting that even if Russia were to take no further action in Ukraine, the US and allies will continue to impose costs on the country.

Deputy national security adviser Daleep Singh did not specify timing during an appearance on CNN's "New Day," but he pointed to the types of sanctions the US might pursue, including export controls "at any moment.

" "These costs are going to escalate from here.

The two largest banks in the Russian economy are $750 billion in assets under management, thats 10 times larger.

Our export controls, which can deny all of the critical technology inputs to Russia, have yet to be unveiled.

We can unveil those at any moment," he said.

Asked by CNN's John Berman whether there would be no further sanctions if Russia did not take further steps in Ukraine, Singh said, "No.

" "Costs continue to ratchet higher.

The violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and its sovereignty are unacceptable," he said.

He described Tuesday's sanctions as a "demonstration effect" that will "go higher and higher.

" Singh also reacted to a call from Ukraine's foreign minister to hit Russia with more sanctions now.

"Sometimes I wonder if theres almost a bloodlust out there for sanctions as an end to themselves.

But let me just be really clear.

We did hit hard yesterday," he said, pointing to Tuesday's package of sanctions on banks, debt, and oligarchs, as well as Germany's announcement it would halt the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Pressed by Berman on who that bloodlust was from, he aimed his attack at the media, and not the Ukrainian foreign minister.

"I hear it from many in the media, why didn't you impose all of your sanctions on day one?" he said.

Asked again whether he was targeting the Ukrainian official with that phrasing, he said, "No, no I'm not saying that.

I'm saying I hear from questions out there and commentary.

" Asked if there had been a change to the current military situation, Singh maintained status quo, saying Russia is still "poised and positioned to launch a major invasion, a large scale invasion across much of the territory of Ukraine, from the north, from the east, and from the south, that has not changed.

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" ##Sanctions## ##Nord Stream 2## Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday warned of a "finely tuned and painful" response to the United States after the Biden administration imposed fresh sanctions on Moscow.

  The statement alleged that the sanctions are part of Washingtons "ongoing attempts to change Russias course," and added that the pressure will not prove to be a deterrence.

"Russia has proved that, despite all the sanctions costs, it is able to minimize the damage.

And even more so, sanctions pressure is not able to affect our determination to firmly defend our interests," it read.

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The ministry also reiterated that its open for diplomacy but warned that the US will receive a response from Russia.

"We are open to diplomacy based on the principles of mutual respect, equality and consideration of each others interests," the statement read.

"There should be no doubt that sanctions will receive a strong response, not necessarily symmetrical, but finely tuned and painful to the American side.

" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the "future of European security is being decided now, here in Ukraine" in a news conference in Kyiv Wednesday.

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Speaking alongside the Polish and Lithuanian leaders, Zelensky said: "We are unanimous in our assessment of the crimes of the Russian Federation.

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This is yet another act of aggression against Ukraine, its sovereignty, our territorial integrity.

" Zelensky called for a tough regime of sanctions against Russia.

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday the US will sanction Russias financial institutions and oligarchs.

The United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, Australia and Japan also announced fresh sanctions on Russia.

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"The military presence of the Russian Federation on the occupied territory of Donbas has been hiding behind the separatist uniform," he said.

"And now we see this is a unilateral departure from the Minsk agreements," he added, referencing Russias announcement that the Minsk agreement — designed to bring peace to the eastern regions of Ukraine — no longer applied.

"This is an undermining of Ukrainian and international attempts to regulate the situation in the Ukrainian Donbas," Zelensky said.

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"The response of the international community to this crime should be decisive, immediate and harsh.

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" "We need to completely stop the Nord Stream project, which is a weapon that is already being used against Ukraine and Europe," he added.

Yesterday, Germany said it halted certifying the $11 billion 750-mile pipeline that connects Russia directly to Germany.

The Nord Stream 2 project was completed in September but has not yet received the final green light from German regulators.

Standing next to Zelensky, Polish President Andrzej Duda said, "We are all walking the narrow path between peace and further stable development and war.

Poland condemns Putins decision about recognition.

" New satellite images from Maxar Technologies show that additional troops, vehicles and logistics infrastructure have been deployed in recent days to the Ukrainian border by Russia.

   The starkest image was taken over an airfield just southwest of Mazyr, Belarus, where dozens of tents and vehicles have appeared in recent days.

   A satellite image from Feb.

4 showed the area was completely vacant.

That airfield is just under 40 kilometers— about 24 miles — from the Ukrainian border.

CNN has geolocated numerous videos posted to social media that show significant activity in the area, with some convoys moving even closer in the direction of the Ukrainian border.

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   Past satellite images in the area have shown significant activity around Belgorod, Russia, and the latest set of images show even more.

Just west of the city, Maxar Technologies said a new field hospital has been constructed at a military site.

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 Southwest of the city, additional troops and equipment are seen in satellite images as well.

US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo outlined Tuesday's sanctions announcement Wednesday morning, detailing the Biden administration's three-pronged approach.

  "The sanctions that we imposed were significant actions that had an impact on Russia in multiple ways," Adeyemo said during a brief appearance on MSNBC.

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday laid out what he called a "first tranche" of US sanctions against Russia, including on two large financial institutions, Russian sovereign debt and Russian elites and their family members.

On banks: "The banks that we went after one of them was critical to [Russia President] Vladimir Putins ability to project power within Russia.

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Its money they use to pay the Kremlin used to pay for things within the country.

The second bank was critical to their defense industry and their ability to project power outside of Russia.

Weve cut those banks off from the US financial system, and today their assets are frozen because of the actions that we took," Adeyemo said.

On individuals: "We cut off Russian elites.

These elites are close to the Kremlin and close to Putin.

And the reality is that Vladimir Putin gains a great deal of his wealth from taking money from these elites and from the Russian economy.

So like cutting off these individuals and their children, we cut off the ability for Vladimir Putin to use their resources to further his lifestyle.

" On debt: "The action we took to cut off sovereign debt means that over time, Russias economy will be starved for the resources they need to project power within the region and around the world.

"  Echoing Biden's remarks yesterday, Adeyemo acknowledged that there will be some costs to Americans, including at the gas pump.

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"What the President has told us is to take actions that will severely impact the Russian economy and to mitigate the impact on the US and Europe, which we have which we have done, but there will be costs and our goal will be to make sure that we mitigate those costs over time," he said.

Pressed about oligarchs who may have funds spread out across multiple countries, Adeyemo said that the strategy included going after those close to them, including their children.

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"One of the things we did yesterday was in addition to going after the named individuals, we went after their children.

And our goal will be as we continue, is to make sure that we target the individuals around them to ensure that the money theyre sending to places like London and New York through those individuals can no longer flow and we constrict the ability of this money to flow back to President Putin," he said.

##Sanctions## In response to US sanctions on Russia's sovereign debt, the Russian Ministry of Finance has announced measures that it said will ensure the stability of its access to debt markets.

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The ministry said it has enough money available — more than 4.

5 trillion rubles (around $56 billion) — to ensure that it can be flexible in borrowing money and selling new government debt.

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In the coming weeks, Russian government bond auctions will be restricted and will take into account the market situation, it added.

The ministrys reserves are more than double the planned net borrowing for 2022 of 2.

2 trillion rubles ($27 billion), and it also said that the measures along with those taken by the Russian central bank on Tuesday will "facilitate a smoother adaptation" to the sanctions.

  On Tuesday, the Russian Central Bank said it would ease rules for banks, allowing them to use the exchange rate of Feb.

18 — before the big falls in the Russian market — when calculating their financial positions.

Financial institutions are now also allowed to report shares and bonds at market value as of Feb.

"The Ministry of Finance of Russia, together with the Bank of Russia, will continue to closely monitor the situation in the financial markets and, if necessary, will take additional measures to strengthen financial stability," the finance ministry said.

Some background: US President Joe Biden yesterday laid out what he called a "first tranche" of US sanctions against Russia for its moves, including on two large financial institutions, Russian sovereign debt and Russian elites and their family members.

He said the moves would effectively "cut off Russias government from Western finance.

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" The United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, Australia and Japan also announced fresh sanctions on Russia.

Earlier in the day, Germany said it halted certifying a $11 billion 750-mile pipeline that connects Russia directly to Germany.

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The Nord Stream 2 project was completed in September but has not yet received the final green light from German regulators.

##Sanctions## The United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with more military support, including defensive weapons, according to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

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  "In light of the increasingly threatening behavior from Russia and in line with our previous support, the UK will shortly be providing a further package of military support to Ukraine.

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This will include lethal aid in the form of defensive weapons and non-lethal aid," Johnson told lawmakers in UK parliament Wednesday.

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  Johnson also stressed that financial sanctions imposed by the UK will stop Russia "from raising sovereign debt" and will also stop Russian companies from "clearing in sterling and dollars on international markets.

"  The UK on Tuesday said it is set to sanction members of the Russian parliament who voted in favor of recognizing the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.

Those sanctions are in addition to an earlier raft of measures against five Russian banks and three wealthy individuals announced by the British Prime Minister.

 Russia has called the sanctions "illegal.

" CNNs Darya Tarasova and Samantha Beech contributed reporting to this post.

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French President Emmanuel Macron recently offered rare insight into the demeanor of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who he said had "changed" in the two years since the leaders previously met in person, according to an Elysée source.

  Addressing journalists in Paris Monday following a televised national address by the Russian President, the source recounted what Macron had noticed during the leaders' February 7 meeting in Moscow.

  Macron had told reporters on the plane back from the trip that he found Putin to be "stiffer and more isolated" when they met face to face in the Russian capital, the source said, adding that the assessment aligned with the impression Putin gave in the rambling speech announcing the deployment of so-called "peacekeeping" troops into eastern Ukraine.

   "On the plane, President Macron had explained to the journalists present that the Putin he had met in the Kremlin was no longer the same as the one he had seen in December 2019 -- their last meeting.

"That Macron had found at the Kremlin a man who was at the same time stiffer, more isolated and who, basically, had gone into a sort of drift that was both ideological and security-minded and who, in a certain way, was borne out today [in the speech]," the source said.

Macron has emerged as Europes key broker in diplomatic efforts to avert war in Ukraine in recent weeks.

The pair spent more than five hours locked in head-to-head talks during their meeting in Moscow this month.

Macron said at the time that he and Putin were able to find "points of convergence" over the crisis and that it was "up to us to agree, jointly, concrete and specific measures to stabilize the situation and to de-escalate tensions.

" Western leaders are warning that Russia has put in motion its plan to launch a full invasion of Ukraine, while announcing the first set of sanctions on Moscow.

US President Joe Biden described events now underway in Ukraine as "the beginning of a Russian invasion," as he unveiled tough new measures to punish Moscow on Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Russia is "bent" on a "full scale invasion" of Ukraine, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said "Putin has built up enough troops along the Ukrainian borders to really be able to fully invade the country.

" Heres what you need to know.

What did Russia do? On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Donetsk and Luhansk — two separatist-held pro-Moscow regions of eastern Ukraine — in what the Kremlin called a "peacekeeping" mission.

The move came just hours after he signed decrees recognizing the independence of the regions.

Multiple US and Western officials cautioned this could serve as the opening salvo of a larger military operation targeting Ukraine.

More than 150,000 Russian troops now encircle Ukraine on three sides, according to estimates from US and Ukrainian intelligence officials.

How has Ukraine responded? Ukraine's response to a potential attack "will be instant," Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council said Wednesday.

A State of Emergency is set to be introduced across all parts of Ukraine under government control, which will last for at least 30 days.

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But the government has not closed the door to a possible solution.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is still pursuing diplomacy as a way out of the crisis; reservists would be called up for military training, he said, but there will be no general mobilization of armed forces.

"We desire peace and calm but if we are quiet today then tomorrow we will disappear," he said in an address to the nation.

How has the world reacted? Russias actions have been strongly condemned by many nations, with Western leaders imposing new sanctions on Tuesday and cutting off a key pipeline with Russia.

Biden announced the United States will sanction Russias financial institutions and oligarchs.

The European Union also sanctioned 351 Russian lawmakers who voted to recognize the breakaway regions, and the United Kingdom announced sanctions against five Russian banks and three Russian oligarchs.

Also on Tuesday, Germany said it halted certifying an $11 billion 750-mile pipeline that connects Russia directly to Germany.

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Without that, natural gas cannot flow through the Baltic Sea pipeline from Russia to Germany.

On Wednesday, Japan and Australia joined the list of countries to impose sanctions on Russia, Donetsk and Luhansk.

But China, which for years has maintained a robust friendship with Russia, criticized Western sanctions.

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday they are "never a fundamental and effective way to solve problems.

" ##Sanctions## ##Catch Up## A State of Emergency is to be introduced across all parts of Ukraine under government control, the countrys National Security and Defense Council announced Wednesday.

The measure is expected to be approved by the Ukrainian Parliament within 48 hours and would last for 30 days, with the possibility of being extended for an additional 30 days.

  "Across the territory of our country, apart from Donetsk and Luhansk, a State of Emergency will be introduced," Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council said Wednesday.

   "The main aim of the Russian Federation is to destabilize Ukraine from inside and to achieve its objective.

To prevent this from happening, we decided today and made this decision today," he added.

  Speaking during a press briefing in Kyiv, Danilov said the State of Emergency would include "strengthening public order and security at critical infrastructure facilities" and tightening inspections on certain transportation movements.

  "Depending on the local circumstances, there may be stronger or milder measures to ensure the security of our country," he added.

"These are all preventative measures, in order to preserve peace and calm in the country and for the economy to continue to work.

" Soccer governing bodies UEFA and FIFA say they are "monitoring the situation" as the escalating Russia-Ukraine crisis threatens to impact several key European and international matches that due to take place in both countries.

It comes after Western nations announced a tranche of sanctions against Moscow in a bid to deter further aggression after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of military forces into eastern Ukraine.

Petersburg is poised to stage the UEFA Champions League Final -- the biggest match in men's European club football -- on Saturday, May 28.

The Krestovsky Stadium, which is sponsored by Russian state-owned company Gazprom, previously hosted matches at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2020.

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  "With regard to the 2022 UEFA Champions League final in St.

Petersburg, we would like to inform you that UEFA is constantly and closely monitoring the situation and any decision would be made in due course if necessary.

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UEFA has no further comments to make at present," a UEFA spokesperson told CNN Tuesday.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Wednesday that English teams should boycott May's final as a result of Russia's actions.

"If I were on an English team, I would boycott it," Truss told British radio station LBC.

"I would personally not want to be playing in a football match in St.

Petersburg given what the Putin regime is doing," added Truss.

On the international scene, Russia are scheduled to host Poland in a men's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier playoff semifinal on March 24.

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That game is due to be held at the VTB Arena in Moscow.

FIFA also told CNN it is "monitoring the situation.

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" China has criticized Western sanctions on Russia and said it will not follow suit, calling the measures "never a fundamental and effective way to solve problems" and saying it "always opposes any illegal unilateral sanctions.

" On Tuesday, President Joe Biden said the United States will sanction Russias financial institutions and oligarchs after Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered troops into separatist-held parts of eastern Ukraine.

When asked in the Foreign Ministrys daily briefing whether China would consider following suit, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying responded by telling the reporter, "You obviously lack a basic understanding of Chinese government policy.

" "We believe that sanctions are never the fundamental and effective way to solve problems.

China always opposes any illegal unilateral sanctions," Hua said, reiterating that the two parties should seek a resolution through dialogue and negotiation.

  In her response, Hua also posed questions of what has been gained by previous US imposed sanctions on Russia, asking reporters: "Have they solved the problem? Is the world better off because of US sanctions? Will Ukraines problems be resolved automatically by the imposition of US sanctions against Russia? Will Europes security be more secure as a result of US sanctions against Russia? I think we should try to solve the problem through dialogue and negotiation.

" She noted that previous sanctions imposed by the US "have caused serious difficulties to the economy and peoples livelihood of the countries concerned," adding that on Ukraine, the US should "not undermine the legitimate rights and interests" of China and "other parties.

" Currently, the US maintains sanctions on Russia that were imposed in response to its invasion of Ukraine in 2014.

Other penalties have been imposed over issues including cyberattacks, election meddling, weapons proliferation and illicit trade with North Korea.

  The Russia-China relationship: China is navigating a complex position as it attempts to balance a robust friendship with Russia with its practiced foreign policy of staunchly defending state sovereignty.

On Feb.

14, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the embassy in Ukraine is "working normally" and continues to provide consular protection and assistance to Chinese citizens and enterprises in Ukraine.

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The United Kingdom has not seen "full" evidence Russia has sent troops to eastern Ukraine, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told Sky News on Wednesday.

   "Weve heard from Putin himself that he is sending in troops," she said.

 "We dont yet have the full evidence that that has taken place.

What we are expecting, and this has been confirmed by the Americans as well as by the United Kingdom, is a full-scale invasion, including potentially of Kyiv.

"  Without providing evidence, both the European Union's Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that Russian troops have entered the pro-Moscow breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

CNN has been unable to independently verify this.

  Truss added the UK and the international community is prepared to "go further" with economic sanctions should a "full-scale invasion" take place, which could be in any part of Ukraine, not just the capital city of Kyiv.

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"Weve been very clear that were going to limit Russian access to British markets.

Were going to stop the Russian government raising sovereign debt in the United Kingdom.

And were very united with our allies in the way that these sanctions packages are working," she said.

  Some context: Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing Luhansk and Donetsk as independent on Monday.

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The decrees said that Russian so-called peacekeeping forces would be deployed in the two separatist-held pro-Moscow regions of eastern Ukraine.

Separatists in Luhansk and Donetsk have long had substantial backing from the Kremlin, with US, NATO and Ukrainian officials saying that Moscow supplies them with advisory support and intelligence, and embeds its own officers in their ranks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a video message Wednesday that the countrys interests were "non negotiable" — but he is open to dialogue for "the most difficult problems.

"  "We see how difficult the international situation is developing, what dangers the current challenges pose, such as weakening of the arms control system or the military activity of the NATO bloc," Putin said in a clip released by the Kremlin for the national holiday, Defender of the Fatherland Day.

"At the same time, Russias calls to build a system of equal and indivisible security that would reliably protect all countries remain unanswered.

"  Russia was "always open for direct and honest dialogue, for finding diplomatic solutions to the most difficult problems," Putin said, adding: "But I repeat: Russias interests and the security of our citizens are non-negotiable for us.

" Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen has condemned Russia for undermining Ukraines sovereignty, presidential office spokesman Chang Tun-han said on Wednesday.

Tsai chaired a meeting to discuss the crisis in Ukraine on Wednesday morning, during which she said Taiwan must increase its surveillance on military activities in the Taiwan Strait to protect the self-ruled islands security.

"Taiwan and Ukraine are fundamentally different in geopolitics, geography and the importance to international supply chains," Tsai said, according to Chang.

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Tsai said earlier this week that Taiwan could "empathize" with Ukraines situation given its experience with "military threats and intimidation from China.

" Mainland China and Taiwan have been governed separately since the end of the Chinese civil war more than 70 years ago, when the defeated Nationalists retreated to the island.

Chinas Communist Party seeks eventual "reunification" with the island it claims as its territory despite having never governed it — and has not ruled out doing so by force.

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Read more.

As the worlds attention focuses on the escalating crisis between Russia and Ukraine, a spotlight has also been turned on an island halfway around the world — self-governing Taiwan.

On the surface, there may be parallels: both Taiwan and Ukraine are Western-friendly democracies whose status quo could be upended by powerful autocracies.

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In Taiwans case, Chinas Communist Party seeks eventual "reunification" with the island it claims as its territory despite having never governed it — and has not ruled out doing so by force.

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For Ukraine, that threat is unfolding: Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he considers Russians and Ukrainians as "one people," and its yet unclear how far hell go to realize that claim — on Monday he declared two breakaway, Moscow-backed territories in Ukraine as independent republics.

World leaders themselves have implied connections between the fates of Ukraine and Taiwan in recent weeks.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has said Taiwan could "empathize" with Ukraines situation given its experience with "military threats and intimidation from China.

" Concerns have been rising in recent years that a confident China under leader Xi Jinping may make a bold move to take control of Taiwan, and Beijing will likely be carefully monitoring the situation in Ukraine for signs of how Western powers respond — and just how severe those responses are.

The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, Australia and Japan have all announced economic sanctions to punish Moscow following Putins moves earlier this week.

But there are limits to the parallels, and to how much Beijing could glean from the spiraling crisis in Ukraine when it comes any future actions toward Taiwan.

"How the US responds to Ukraine is not going to be the same as Taiwan because the way the US has constructed its relationship with Taiwan over decades is different than its responsibilities to Ukraine, the European Union, or NATO," said Lev Nachman, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard Universitys Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies.

"Even though (Beijing) will still be watching closely to see how the world reacts to invasion and a potential redrawing of borders, which will likely factor into Beijings own geopolitical calculus, it is highly unlikely that Beijing is going to drastically alter its strategy towards Taiwan over Ukraine," said Nachman, who focuses on Taiwan politics.

Editors Note: A version of this post appeared in CNNs Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the countrys rise and how it impacts the world.

Sign up here and read more: Russia issued a strongly worded response to British sanctions on Wednesday, while attempting to justify Russia's recognition of two pro-Moscow separatist regions of eastern Ukraine.

The Russian Embassy in London claimed the United Kingdoms "strong protest" and sanctions were "illegal in terms of international law.

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" "Over the course of the past several months, we have witnessed an escalation of anti-Russian hysteria in the British media, a targeted shaping of the image of an aggressive Russia in the eyes of the British public and international community," said the embassy on its verified Facebook page.

The statement accused the British government and media of ignoring the plight of residents in the two separatist-held regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

"London couldn't care less when Donbas was living under full transport and economic blockade, suspension of social benefits and pension payments," it added.

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UK sanctions: On Tuesday, the UK said it would sanction members of the Russian Parliament who voted in favor of recognizing Luhansk and Donetsk.

Those sanctions are in addition to an earlier raft of measures against five Russian banks and three wealthy individuals announced by the British Prime Minister.

   In its response early Wednesday Moscow time, the Russian Embassy in London refuted the UKs demand that Russia withdraw troops from the two regions, claiming, "it is well known that they have not entered those territories.

" The statement added: "We have no illusions with regard to the focus of efforts by the British diplomacy, designed within a narrow circle of like-minded partners.

London has little interest in resolving the crisis in Ukraine, instead being more keen to score political points with racking-up tensions.

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" "It's no secret to us either, that the British sanctions against our country would have been introduced in any case.

" ##Sanctions## It took only 24 hours for Donald Trump to hail Russian President Vladimir Putins dismembering of independent, democratic, sovereign Ukraine as an act of "genius.

" The former Presidents remarks on a conservative radio show on Tuesday will not only find a warm welcome in the Kremlin.

They also will concern allies standing alongside the US against Russia who fear for NATOs future if Trump returns.

Trump also sent an unmistakable message to Republicans, who are already playing into Putins hands by branding President Joe Biden as weak, that siding with a US foe is the way into the ex-Presidents affections ahead of this years midterm primaries.

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Trump didnt take long to make sure Putin knew he approved of his movement of troops into parts of eastern Ukraine, knowing that his comments would be picked up and beamed around the world.

"I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, This is genius.

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Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine, of Ukraine, Putin declares it as independent.

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Oh, thats wonderful," Trump said in an interview on "The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show.

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" The ex-President added: "So Putin is now saying, Its independent, a large section of Ukraine.

I said, How smart is that? And hes going to go in and be a peacekeeper.

Thats the strongest peace force," Trump said.

"We could use that on our southern border.

Thats the strongest peace force Ive ever seen.

Heres a guy whos very savvy.

I know him very well.

Very, very well.

" Some context: Trump was referring to Putins declaration on Monday that he would regard two rebel regions of eastern Ukraine, where he has been fostering separatism, as independent and his order for Russian troops, which Putin misleadingly called "peacekeeping" forces, to reinforce the enclaves.

The move was a flagrant violation of international law, was resonant of the tyrannical territorial aggrandizement of the 1930s that led to World War II and was, as Biden said on Tuesday, tantamount to "the beginning of a Russian invasion.

" Read the full analysis: After months of military buildup and brinkmanship, US President Joe Biden on Tuesday described Russias movements in Ukraine as "the beginning of a Russian invasion.

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" Heres what you need to know: What did Russia do? On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Donetsk and Luhansk — two separatist-held pro-Moscow regions of eastern Ukraine — in what the Kremlin called a "peacekeeping" mission.

How is Ukraine responding? On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is still pursuing diplomacy as a way out of the crisis.

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Reservists would be called up for military training, he said, but there will be no general mobilization of armed forces.

"We desire peace and calm, but if we are quiet today then tomorrow we will disappear," Zelensky said.

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How has the world reacted? Russias actions have been strongly condemned by many nations, with Western leaders imposing new sanctions on Tuesday and cutting off a key pipeline with Russia.

Read more: ##Catch Up## Australia is the latest country to announce sanctions against Russia, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiling new measures Wednesday in response to the "aggression by Russia against Ukraine.

" Morrison said at a news conference that Australia will first enact travel bans and targeted financial sanctions on eight members of the Security Council of the Russian Federation — a group of top state officials and defense heads.

Canberra will also impose "strong" economic sanctions against the separatist-held pro-Moscow regions of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, which Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized as independent on Monday.

The sanctions target transport, energy, telecommunications, oil, gas and mineral reserves, Morrison said.

He added that he will extend existing sanctions on Russian-held Crimea and Sevastopol to include Luhansk and Donetsk.

Australia will also move to sanction several Russian banks.

"The invasion of Ukraine has effectively already begun," Morrison said.

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"Russia is at peak readiness to now complete a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and that is likely to occur within the next 24 hours.

" Morrison added that Australia always stands up to "bullies," and that he will speak to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday.

##Sanctions## Moscows ambassador to the United States has hit back at the imposition of sanctions on Russia by President Joe Biden, suggesting the move would hurt global financial and energy markets as well as ordinary citizens.

"I don't remember a single day when our country lived without any restrictions from the Western world.

We learned how to work in such conditions.

And not only survive, but also develop our state," said Ambassador Anatoly Antonov, according to a post on the Russian Embassy Facebook page early Wednesday.

"There is no doubt that the sanctions imposed against us will hurt the global financial and energy markets," he added.

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"The United States will not be left out, where ordinary citizens will feel the full consequences of rising prices.

" "With regard to Moscow, new US sanctions will not solve anything, Russia has learned to work and develop under restrictions.

" Context on the sanctions: Biden laid out what he called a "first tranche" of US sanctions against Russia for its actions in eastern Ukraine, including on two large financial institutions, Russian sovereign debt and Russian elites and their family members.

He said the sanctions would effectively "cut off Russias government from Western finance.

" Biden pledged that his administration is using "every tool at our disposal" to limit the effect on gas prices in the US, acknowledging that Americans will likely see rising prices at the pump in the coming months.

Read more about the US sanctions here.

##Sanctions## Ukraines foreign minister on Tuesday said that "no sanctions will be enough" until Russian forces leave Ukraine, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two separatist regions in the country as independent and announced he would deploy "peacekeeping" forces there.

"No sanctions will be enough until Russian boots withdraw from Ukrainian soil," Dmytro Kuleba told CNNs Jake Tapper on "The Lead.

" Earlier Tuesday, President Joe Biden unveiled tough new sanctions to punish Moscow, describing the events underway in Ukraine as "the beginning of a Russian invasion.

" Kuleba told Tapper those sanctions are "just the beginning of the process of deterring President Putin and making him withdraw," adding that it "certainly wont be enough.

" Kuleba, asked by Tapper what he thinks Putins intentions are, said Tuesday that Putins "ultimate goal is to destroy Ukraine.

" "He is not interested in parts of Ukraine.

He is not interested in even keeping the entire country in his control.

He wants idea of the Ukrainian statehood to fail," the foreign minister continued.

Read more: ##Sanctions## Japan will impose sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday.

Kishida did not specify names or how the sanctions would be carried out.

He also said Japan will ban imports and exports to and from Donetsk and Luhansk, and prohibit the issuance and circulation of Russian bonds in Japan.

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   Kishida said Russia's actions had "clearly" violated Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law and urged Russia to resolve the situation through a diplomatic process.

##Sanctions## President Joe Biden described events now underway in Ukraine as "the beginning of a Russian invasion" as he unveiled tough new sanctions to punish Moscow on Tuesday.

He laid out what he called a "first tranche" of US sanctions against Russia for its moves, including on two large financial institutions, Russian sovereign debt and Russian elites and their family members.

" Biden also announced he was moving additional troops and equipment to "strengthen" US allies in the Baltic nations on NATOs eastern flank, but made clear they would not be there to "fight Russia.

" The President held out the possibility that diplomacy could still defuse the crisis, and said the US would remain open to talking with Russia and its partners to avert all-out war.

"The United States and our allies and partners remain open to diplomacy, if it is serious," he said.

"When all is said and done, were going to judge Russia by its actions, not its words.

" Still, Biden made plain his view that Putin was launching a bid to fundamentally redraw borders in Europe, violating international laws and putting pressure on the West to respond.

"Who in the Lords name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belonged to his neighbors? This is a flagrant violation of international law and demands a firm response from the international community," Biden said.

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Biden said Putins remarks a day earlier were "setting up a rationale to take more territory by force, in my view.

" Read more here.

##Sanctions## US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a planned meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva this week, he announced Tuesday, in the latest sign that diplomatic avenues with Russia over Ukraine are quickly closing.

"Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy, it does not make sense to go forward with that meeting at this time," Blinken said at the State Department on Tuesday.

"I consulted with our allies and partners -- all agree.

" Blinkens announcement comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent and announced he would deploy "peacekeeping" forces there.

US President Joe Biden and top US officials said Tuesday that Putins moves marked the beginning of a new Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Biden announced a first tranche of sanctions in response.

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Blinken said he sent a letter to Lavrov on Tuesday to inform him of the decision.

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He said the US remains committed to diplomacy "if Russia is prepared to take demonstrable steps to provide the international community with any degree of confidence its serious about deescalating and finding a diplomatic solution.

" Read more: The West showed Tuesday it was ready to target Russias huge energy industry — even at the risk of hurting itself — after Moscow ordered troops into parts of eastern Ukraine.

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Germany said it was halting certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline following Moscows actions in eastern Ukraine on Monday.

"With regard to the latest developments, we need to reassess the situation also with regard to Nord Stream 2.

It sounds very technocratic but it is the necessary administrative step in order to stop certification of the pipeline," Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Berlin.

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The 750-mile pipeline was completed in September but has not yet received final certification from German regulators.

The United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and several EU countries have opposed the pipeline since it was announced in 2015, warning the project would increase Moscows influence in Europe.

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Nord Stream 2 could deliver 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

Thats more than 50% of Germanys annual consumption and could be worth as much as $15 billion to Gazprom, the Russian state owned company that controls the pipeline.

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Read more:.

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Russian stocks crash and ruble plunges to record low.

Russian stocks crashed by more than 40% and the ruble hit a record low against the dollar on Thursday.

The Moscow market rout was triggered by news that Russian troops had launched an attack on Ukraine, a move that is likely to trigger a new wave of "full scale" sanctions aimed at President Vladimir Putins inner circle and Russias oil-dependent economy.

A broad offensive by Russian forces targeted military infrastructure across Ukraine as well as several airports.

The assault began hours before dawn and quickly spread across central and eastern Ukraine as Russian forces attacked from three sides.

Putin warned of bloodshed unless Ukrainian forces lay down their arms.

The Moscow stock exchange had suspended trading earlier on Thursday but when dealing resumed, stocks went into free-fall.

The MOEX index plunged as much as 45%, while the RTS index — which is denominated in dollars — was down more than 40% at 4.

The crash wiped about $75 billion off the value of Russias biggest companies.

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Russian banks and oil companies were among the hardest hit in volatile trading, with shares in Sberbank — Russias largest lender — at one stage losing 57% of their value.

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Rosneft, in which BP owns a 19.

75% stake, plunged as much as 58%.

BP shares dropped 5% in London.

The ruble was trading at 85 to the dollar, down 4%, after earlier hitting a new record low of 89.

The Russian central bank said it would intervene in the currency market and provide extra liquidity to the banking sector.

The United States, European Union, United Kingdom and other allies announced limited new sanctions on Russia earlier this week after Moscow said it would send troops into two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine.

Germany said it was suspending certification of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

US, EU and UK officials have made clear that much tougher measures would follow should Russia invade.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday the European Union is set to unleash "the full packet of sanctions" against Russia, adding that the world must respond resolutely or run the risk of paying an even higher price.

"We woke up in a different world today," Baerbock told reporters at a news conference in Berlin, adding "we will launch the full package of massive sanctions against Russia.

" The Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia called for Russia to be ejected from SWIFT, the secure messaging services that facilitates payments among 11,000 financial institutions in 200 countries.

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"The entire international community must firmly condemn Russias aggression and impose the toughest possible sanctions in response to such outrageous acts, including disconnecting Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT)," the foreign ministers of the three countries said in a joint statement.

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In a statement, SWIFT said it was "a neutral global cooperative" and "any decision to impose sanctions on countries or individual entities rests solely with the competent government bodies and applicable legislators.

" Excluding Russia from SWIFT would cause its economy to shrink by 5%, former finance minister Alexei Kudrin estimated in 2014 — the last time this sanction was considered in response to Russias annexation of Crimea Sberbank said it was prepared for any developments and had worked through scenarios to guarantee its customers funds, assets and interests were protected, Reuters reported.