The invasion of Ukraine “has begun”, Sajid Javid said this morning, as the UK prepares to announce a package of sanctions against Russia.
Russian tanks entered the eastern breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk last night under Vladimir Putin’s orders. The Russian president sent troops in order to “keep the peace”, after recognising them as independent.
About five tanks were seen in a column on the edge of Donetsk and two more in another part of town, a Reuters reporter said. No insignia was visible on the vehicles.
“We are on our land, we are not afraid of anyone or anything,” declared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when he addressed his country just after 2am local time.
In response, Boris Johnson chaired an early morning Cobra meeting to discuss the situation and prepare a package of sanctions in response.
The US also announced sanctions to halt American business activity in the breakaway regions and ban import of all goods from those areas.
Follow the latest updates below.
09:10 AM
Vladimir Putin’s declarations ‘worry me’ – Ben Wallace
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has told a meeting of global defence ministers that he is “worried” by Vladimir Putin’s violation of “international law” by recognising the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, reports our Defence and Security Editor Dominic Nicholls.
“Putin’s declaration that he is going to recognise the independent states in the Donbas region worry me. Some of that includes territory that is actually on the other side of the Line of Control,” he said in his opening remarks.
“We’ve seen in open source reporting Russian military equipment moving into that region. Now, we’ll have to verify that, given that what we know about Russian media performances and truth versus reality. That will be [a] very worrying sign, of course.”
“The clear fact [is] that Russia has broken international law.”
“It’s incredibly serious, what’s happening in Ukraine. Many of us were forewarning that President Putin already had an agenda. You heard that agenda in his speech last night. This is a sovereign state that has now had some of this land effectually annexed from it,” he added.
“All of us in Europe should worry and we should not hesitate to take whatever action we need to to deter President Putin from undermining both Nato but also Europe and more importantly our values.”
Ben Wallace, at Joint Expeditionary Force summit: “Putin’s declaration that he is going to recognise the independent states in the Donbass region worry me. Many of us were forewarning that President Putin already had an agenda. You heard that agenda in his speech last night.” pic.twitter.com/YWhsHrFMHJ
— Dom Nicholls (@DomNicholls) February 22, 2022
09:02 AM
Vladimir Putin ‘gravely miscalculated’ – Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson said Russian President Vladimir Putin has “gravely miscalculated” the situation.
“He believes that Ukraine has no real right to exist as a sovereign, independent country,” the Prime Minister said.
“But that goes against everything that we struggled to achieve at the end of the Cold War, it goes against the aspirations of the Ukrainian people.”
“The most difficult thing now for Vladimir Putin in prosecuting this war… he will come up against something that I think will be very hard for him to beat, and that is the Ukrainian sense of national pride and their determination to defend their country and to fight for it.”
The PM added there had been a failure to stand up to Russia in 2014 when Crimea was annexed.
“We have got to recognise that we were not tough enough and in the end we didn’t do enough, as Europeans, to wean ourselves off Russian hydrocarbons, off Russian oil and gas,” the Prime Minister said.
The volatility in gas prices in Europe was a “consequence of that failure”, he said.
“We have got to make sure that we cut the umbilicus, we snip the drip feed into our bloodstream from Nord Stream,” he added.
“In the UK we have been able to reduce our dependency on Russian gas very substantially. Only 3 per cent of our gas supplies now come from Russia.”
Mr Johnson said the response includes granting licences for UK gas reserves but also shifting to low-carbon energy, including nuclear power.
He added: “The faster this country can be more self-reliant on our own energy, the more prosperous we will be, but also, of course, the more sustainable our energy prices will be, and that will benefit the UK consumer.”
08:54 AM
What other Ukrainian territories could be targets for Russian occupation?
08:50 AM
Russia can’t prove Donbas genocide as pictures ‘too bad’
Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, says that Russia can’t make proof of “genocide” in the Donbas public “because not a single platform would allow them to stay up for more than a minute. That’s how bad the photos are.”
“After all, we have now sent to Berlin and the US, even earlier than to Berlin, we sent a selection of materials that testified both to mass graves and to the atrocities that were happening there. It’s not a crime. These are outrages. I’ll tell you what it is. We can’t put it on the web. Because no platform will last more than a minute,” she told Komsomolskaya Radio.
Russia has consistently pushed out a narrative that Russian speakers are suffering from a “genocide” in eastern Ukraine, a claim widely dismissed by the rest of the world as “false”.
08:43 AM
‘First barrage of sanctions’ to come today – Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson has said the “first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia” will be revealed today as he warned Vladimir Putin is bent on a “full scale invasion of Ukraine”.
After hosting an emergency Cobra meeting, the Prime Minister said: “This is I should stress just the first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia because we expect I’m afraid that there is more Russian irrational behaviour to come.
“I’m afraid all the evidence is that President Putin is indeed bent on a full scale invasion of the Ukraine, the overrunning, the subjugation of an independent, sovereign European country and I think, let’s be absolutely clear, that will be absolutely catastrophic.”
He stressed the UK will work to ensure that “Putin should fail” if he carries out a full-scale invasion of Kyiv, “which is what he seems to be proposing to do”.
The Prime Minister told broadcasters that the UK will continue diplomatic efforts to avert violence but added: “I just want everybody to be in no doubt that if Vladimir Putin continues down this track of violence, of aggression, of a full-scale invasion, of encircling Kyiv itself which is what he seems to be proposing to do, capturing the Ukrainian capital, it is absolutely vital that that effort, that conquest of another European country, should not succeed and that Putin should fail.”
The Prime Minister also said Russian President Vladimir Putin has “completely torn up international law” by his actions in Ukraine and there will now be an “immediate package of economic sanctions”.
These sanctions will be aimed not just at entities at regions including Donetsk but also “in Russia itself, targeting Russian economic interests as hard as we can”.
He said further details will be given in the House of Commons later today.
08:39 AM
‘Invasion of Ukraine has begun’ says Sajid Javid
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08:30 AM
China concerned about ‘worsening’ Ukraine situation
China is concerned about the “worsening” situation in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said, repeating his call for all parties to show restraint and resolve differences through dialogue.
Accelerating a crisis the West fears could spark a war, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered on Monday the deployment of troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine after recognising them as independent.
The legitimate security concerns of any country should be respected, Mr Wang, who is also a Chinese state councillor, told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a telephone call, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The situation in Ukraine is worsening,” Mr Wang told Mr Blinken. “China once again calls on all parties to exercise restraint.”
Earlier on Tuesday, China’s embassy in Ukraine warned its nationals there not to venture into unstable areas, but stopped short of telling them to leave, as many other nations have advised their own citizens.
“The Chinese embassy in Ukraine has issued a reminder to Chinese citizens and enterprises to strengthen security precautions,” said Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesman.
China is closely following the evolving situation in Ukraine, Mr Wang told the briefing, which drew more reporters than usual.
08:23 AM
Russia’s actions creating ‘very dire’ situation
Kurt Volker, a former US ambassador to Nato, said Russia’s actions in Ukraine have created a “very dire” situation.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognise two regions of Ukraine as independent states “opens the door to a lot of new steps by Russia”.
“We’ve already seen him putting forces into those territories. The portion of Luhansk and Donetsk that Russia occupies are not the entire territory of Luhansk and Donetsk.”
“So that also opens the possibility that they will view Ukraine as an occupier of those territories, and then fight to remove Ukrainian forces and take more.”
“That in turn could lead to much greater skirmishes and fighting with Ukrainian forces which could easily escalate out of control, so this is a very, very dire time.”
He said “devastating sanctions” should be imposed immediately.
08:18 AM
Ukrainian refugees arrive in Russia
08:08 AM
EU to adopt Russia sanctions ‘this afternoon’
European Union foreign ministers will adopt sanctions today against Russia over its recognition of Ukrainian separatist regions and further deployment of troops on its neighbour’s territory, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
“Of course our response will be in the form of sanctions, whose extent the ministers will decide… I’m sure there will be a unanimous decision” required for the measures, Mr Borrell told reporters in Paris.
He added that the text of the possible measures was being prepared during the morning while the ministers attend a forum with Indo-Pacific nations in the French capital.
The decision itself would come “this afternoon” at an emergency meeting that he has called on the sidelines of the forum in Paris, Mr Borrell said.
Mr Borrell would not be drawn on the details of the sanctions, which are expected to fall on the same day as punitive measures by the US and Britain.
07:59 AM
Russian stocks fall more than 8 per cent
Russian stock indexes have fallen sharply this morning, after Moscow recognised the independence of Ukraine’s two separatist regions and President Vladimir Putin sent troops into the Western-backed country.
The dollar-denominated RTS index was down 10.8 per cent at 0713 GMT, and 32.5 per cent since the start of the year. The ruble-based MOEX fell by 8.8 per cent.
The Russian currency also slid, with the ruble trading at more than 91 to the euro and 80.7 to the dollar.
The central bank said it was closely monitoring the situation.
“The Bank of Russia keeps the situation on the financial market under control and is ready to take all necessary measures to maintain financial stability,” it said.
07:48 AM
‘We are not afraid of anybody’ says Ukrainian President
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07:41 AM
Separatists in east Ukraine accuse Kyiv over blast that killed three people
A Russian-backed separatist official in eastern Ukraine accused Ukrainian saboteurs of detonating a mine on a road in the breakaway region that killed three civilians, Interfax news agency reported.
The separatist official did not provide evidence and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kyiv has repeatedly denied similar allegations and accused the separatists and Russia of deliberately circulating fakes.
07:35 AM
‘We are waking up to a very dark day’ – Sajid Javid
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already begun so Britain will impose sanctions on Russia, Sajid Javid said on this morning as Prime Minister Boris Johnson chaired an emergency government response meeting over the Ukraine crisis.
The Health Secretary said: “We are waking up to a very dark day in Europe and it’s clear from what we have already seen and found out today that the Russians, President Putin, has decided to attack the sovereignty of Ukraine and its territorial integrity.”
The Health Secretary told Sky News: “We have seen that he has recognised these breakaway eastern regions in Ukraine and from the reports we can already tell that he has sent in tanks and troops.”
“From that you can conclude that the invasion of Ukraine has begun.”
Mr Javid went on to tell the BBC that it remains the case the UK will not be sending troops to Ukraine.
“We’ve always preferred dialogue and still continue to do so but it’s clear from President Putin’s actions that he has chosen confrontation over dialogue.”
07:27 AM
Russia ‘yet to decide’ how far recognition of separatists’ sovereignty will extend
A top Russian diplomat said it has yet to be decided where Russia’s recognition of Ukrainian separatists’ sovereignty will extend to all of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, reports our Moscow correspondent Nataliya Vasilyeva.
Self-proclaimed authorities in Donetsk and Luhansk control about one-third of the region commonly known as the Donbass. They controlled more territory when they held a vote in May 2014 proclaiming independence.
Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, said a decision will be taken after this afternoon’s vote in parliament on military aid to those territories.
“Let’s wait for our lawmakers to do their part and ratify those agreements,” Ms Zakharova said on the Solovyov Live show.
07:16 AM
‘Russia has brought us to the brink’
The UK’s ambassador to the United Nations, Dame Barbara Woodward, said Russia has “brought us to the brink”, warning that the country’s actions “will have severe and far-reaching consequences”.
She said an invasion would unleash “the forces of war, death and destruction” on the people of Ukraine.
“The humanitarian impact will be terrible on civilians fleeing the fighting. We know that women and children will suffer most.”
The Security Council must be united in calling on Russia to “de-escalate immediately”, as well as “condemning aggression against a sovereign nation and defending the territorial integrity of Ukraine”.
“Russia has brought us to the brink,” she said. “We urge Russia to step back.”
The Kremlin said Russian forces will “maintain peace” in eastern Ukraine.
07:11 AM
‘We are not afraid. We won’t cede anything’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed his country just after 2am local time: “We are not afraid. We won’t cede anything.”
Mr Zelensky said Vladimir Putin withdrew from the Minsk Agreements by ordering troops into Ukraine.
“We are committed to peace and diplomacy. We are on our land, we are not afraid of anyone or anything, and we will not give anything to anyone, and we are sure of that,” Mr Zelensky said.
“It’s not February 2014, but February 2022,” he said in a reference to Ukraine’s weak army eight years ago when Russia took Crimea.
06:56 AM
US sanctions halt American business activity in breakaway regions
Vladimir Putin’s announcement drew international condemnation and immediate US sanctions to halt American business activity in the breakaway regions and ban import of all goods from those areas.
The measures were separate from sanctions the United States and its allies had prepared if Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
A senior US official said the deployment to breakaway enclaves did not yet constitute a “further invasion” that would trigger the harshest sanctions as Russia already had forces there, but that a wider campaign could come at any time.
Britain, France and Germany also agreed to respond to Russia’s recognition of the breakaway regions with sanctions, and the White House said it would announce further measures on Tuesday.
06:50 AM
Boris Johnson is leading a crisis meeting
Boris Johnson is leading a crisis meeting of ministers and senior officials to consider the response to Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine.
The Government is preparing to slap sanctions on key Russian figures and businesses.
At the 6.30am meeting of the Cobra committee, the Prime Minister will be briefed on the latest intelligence after Mr Putin ordered his troops to carry out “peacekeeping” duty in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The Cobra meeting follows an emergency session of the UN Security Council, where the UK’s ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward said Russia has “brought us to the brink”, warning that the country’s actions “will have severe and far-reaching consequences”.
Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, said new sanctions to be announced on Tuesday were in response to Russia’s “breach of international law and attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Boris Johnson said of Russia’s decision to recognise the separatist regions: “This is plainly in breach of international law, it’s a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine.
“I think it’s a very ill omen and a very dark sign.”
06:40 AM
Ukraine says two soldiers have been killed
The Ukrainian military says two soldiers have been killed and 12 wounded in shelling by pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine in the past 24 hours, the most casualties this year, as ceasefire violations increase.
The military said on its Facebook page it had recorded 84 cases of shelling by separatists who it said had opened fire on about 40 settlements along the frontline using heavy artillery.
Ukraine has accused Russia of provoking the violence, saying Moscow used it as a pretext to formally recognise eastern Ukraine as independent and move its troops into the region, precipitating a crisis that the West fears could unleash a major war.
06:35 AM
Here’s what happened overnight:
World leaders have expressed concern over Russia’s actions, with the US warning the consequences will be dire around the world.
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Moscow said this morning that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was still ready for talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed his country just after 2am local time: “We are committed to peace and diplomacy. We are on our land, we are not afraid of anyone or anything, and we will not give anything to anyone, and we are sure of that”
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A senior Chinese diplomat says China is concerned about the evolution of the situation. China has called for restraint and is encouraging every effort to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis
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Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, said new sanctions to be announced on Tuesday were in response to Russia’s “breach of international law and attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”
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Boris Johnson said of Russia’s decision to recognise the separatist regions: “This is plainly in breach of international law, it’s a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine
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The US will announce further measures on Tuesday, but an official said America could not commit to a summit with Mr Putin
04:31 AM
‘Consequences of Russia’s actions will be dire – across … the globe’
The US ambassador to the United Nations has dismissed “as nonsense” Vladimir Putin’s announcement that he is putting Russian troops in separatist areas of eastern Ukraine as peacekeepers, saying their presence is “clearly the basis for Russia’s attempt to create a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine”.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday night that this move and Mr Putin’s earlier announcement that Russia will recognise the separatist areas as “independent states” are also an “unprovoked” attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
By his actions, she said, Mr Putin “has torn the Minsk Agreement to shreds”.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield said Mr Putin “has put before the world a choice” and it “must not look away” because “history tells us that looking the other way in the face of such hostility will be a far more costly path”.
She said Mr Putin is testing to see “how far he can push us all”, and all countries must stand up for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield warned that “the consequences of Russia’s actions will be dire – across Ukraine, across Europe, and across the globe”.
04:22 AM
Japan criticises Russian actions
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida criticised Russia for violating Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity and said his country will discuss possible “severe actions” including sanctions with the international community.
“Those [Russia’s] actions are unacceptable, and we express our strong condemnation,” Mr Kishida told reporters on Tuesday. “Japan is watching the development with grave concern.”
Separately, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said it was important that Group of Seven nations that share values such as democracy and rule of law stick together and lead the international community. He declined to say if Japan is planning its own sanctions against Russia.
04:18 AM
Air travel could be affected, US warns
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has warned that there is a strong likelihood that any Russian military operations would severely restrict commercial air travel.
“Russian troops have continued to move closer to the border in what looks like plans for an invasion at any moment,” he said.
04:03 AM
China calls for restraint and a diplomatic solution
China has called for restraint and is encouraging every effort to find a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis, saying Beijing believes all countries should solve disputes by peaceful means in line with the UN Charter.
China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun called on the key parties in the Ukraine dispute “to continue dialogue and consultation and seek reasonable solutions”.
Mr Zhang gave very brief remarks at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday night called by Ukraine, the US and six other countries.
The Chinese ambassador made no mention of actions on Monday by its usual ally, Russia, saying only that “all parties concerned must exercise restraint, and avoid any action that may fuel tensions”, and to “welcome and encourage every effort for a diplomatic solution”.
Chinese state media is reporting that China’s Embassy in Kyiv notified its citizens in Ukraine to heighten their safety awareness and avoid conflict areas.
On Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China hoped all parties would pursue a solution that is “truly conducive to safeguarding the security of Europe”.
04:01 AM
How the world reacted to Vladimir Putin’s speech
Western powers reacted swiftly to the decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognise the independence of the two self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine, condemning Moscow and calling for sanctions.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson denounced Mr Putin’s decision as “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of the Ukraine”.
A “very robust package of sanctions” would be triggered “with the first toecap of a Russian incursion or Russian invasion”, he added.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Mr Putin’s decision required “a swift and firm response, and we will take appropriate steps in coordination with partners”.
A French official described the address to the nation by Mr Putin as “paranoid”, accusing him of breaking promises made to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
Read the full story here.
03:56 AM
Putin orders Russian forces into Ukraine
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In an ominous speech that lasted almost an hour, Vladimir Putin accused the Ukrainian Government of “genocide” and said it was sure to seek nuclear weapons with the assistance of the West.
Afterwards, he signed a decree that recognised the independence of the Russian-speaking separatist regions, which have been under effective control since Russia stoked a separatist war there in 2014.
In Mr Putin’s eyes, it could create a legal basis for the Russian army to move across the border into the Donbas region and engage in direct conflict with Ukrainian forces, dashing months of Western diplomatic efforts aimed at averting an invasion.
03:42 AM
Could there be other Ukrainian targets?
03:36 AM
Vladimir Putin warns of ‘bloodshed’
The world continues to react to Vladimir Putin’s warning of “bloodshed” as he ordered Russian troops into two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, raising fears of a full-on invasion.
The Russian president ordered the army across the border to “maintain peace” after he recognised the independence of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in a televised address to the nation.
In an ominous speech that lasted almost an hour, Mr Putin accused the Ukrainian Government of “genocide” and said it was sure to seek nuclear weapons with the assistance of the West.
Read the full story here.
