NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Here's the latest on the Russia-Ukraine conflict:
Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022
10:25 p.m.: President Biden denounces Russia's "unprovoked and unjustified" attack on Ukraine
Shorty after Putin announced that he would undertake "military operations" in eastern Ukraine, Biden issued a statement.
"President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering, Biden said. "Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring."
10:04 p.m.: Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a "special military operation" for the "demilitarization of Ukraine" in a televised speech.
Putin said the operation will be carried out on behalf of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics, two Russia-aligned separatist groups that called for military intervention on Wednesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's televised address.
8:22 p.m.: The United Nations scheduled an emergency meeting of the Security Council for Wednesday night on Ukraine's request.
Council diplomats are drafting a resolution to declare Russia in violation of the U.N. charter, international law and a 2015 council resolution regarding Ukraine, an anonymous diplomat told PBS.
Russia currently holds the rotating presidency of the council.
8:13 p.m.: Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States will "reinforce NATO" with more troops in Eastern Europe if Russia invades.
"If Russia continues to escalate, so will we," said Blinken on NBC. "So they have to factor that in to what they're thinking. At the end of the day, if that doesn't stop President Putin, we've made very clear along with all of our allies and partners that there will be massive consequences going forward."
In addition to more troops stationed in NATO territory, Blinken says the administration is "doubling down" on security assistance, diplomatic support and economic support to Ukraine.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to Lester Holt on NBC.
6:59 p.m.: The G7 nations — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States — plan to hold a virtual meeting about Ukraine at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on NBC he expects Russia will invade by Thursday morning.
6:07 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has approved an offensive against Ukraine in a video address.
Zelensky posted an 11-minute video address on Telegram in which he said Russia has approved an attack on Ukraine. He also claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin did not respond to his invitation to hold talks.
“The people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine want peace,” he said. “But if we come under attack that threaten our freedom and lives of our people we will fight back.”
Zelensky's address
5:07 p.m.: Russian tanks enter separatist-controlled Donetsk after the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics called on Russia to help the rebels in "repelling aggression" from Ukraine.
"They are asking the President of Russia to provide assistance in repulse the aggression of the armed forces and formations of Ukraine,” Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
5:06 p.m.: Cyber attacks target city services in Kyiv and internet service is interrupted in Donetsk.
These recent attacks are a part of a broader series of cyber attacks, with reports of cell phone outages and a piece of data wiping software that is circulating around Ukrainian computers.
Donetsk experienced a total mobile communication outage around 5:15 p.m. EST.
4:55 p.m.: China says its supports international norms on territorial sovereignty and calls for "dialogue and consultation"
Ambassador Zhang Jun called for a diplomatic solution Tuesday at the Plenary Meeting of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine Tuesday.
"China calls on all parties to recognize the importance of implementing the principle of indivisible security, to continue to engage in dialogue and consultation, and to seek reasonable solutions that address each other's concerns through peaceful means on the basis of equality and mutual respect," said Zhang. "We welcome and encourage all efforts aimed at facilitating a diplomatic solution."
2:38 p.m.: Bipartisan federal lawmakers ask Biden to seek congressional approval before sending military to Ukraine
A group of 43 Democrat and Republican lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden Tuesday asking him to seek congressional approval before taking military action in Ukraine.
"If the ongoing situation compels you to introduce the brave men and women of our military into Ukraine, their lives would inherently be put at risk if Russia chooses to invade," the letter reads. "Therefore, we ask that your decisions comport with the Constitution and our nation's laws by consulting with Congress to receive authorization before any such development."
Signees include prominent progressives like Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Oscasio-Cortez as well as far-right lawmakers like Matt Gaetz and Warren Davidson.
12:50 p.m.: Ukrainian government, banking sites knocked offline amid cyberattacks
Ukrainian government and banking websites have been knocked offline with another wave of distributed-denial-of-service attacks.
The targets Wednesday included the defense, foreign and interior ministries, as well as Privatbank, the country’s largest commercial bank.
Many of the same sites were similarly hit in Feb.13-14 attacks that the U.S. and U.K. governments quickly blamed on Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency. Such attacks barrage websites with junk traffic, rendering them unreachable.
Wednesday’s DDoS attacks appeared to be less impactful than the previous onslaught, with targeted sites soon reachable again as emergency responders blunted them.
Cyberattacks have been a key tool of Russian aggression in Ukraine since 2014, when the Kremlin annexed Crimea and hackers tried to thwart elections.
12:30 p.m.: U.S. ambassador says ‘there is no middle ground’ in this conflict
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield is telling countries around the world that “now is the time to get off the sidelines” and speak out against Russia’s actions toward Ukraine.
“There is no middle ground here. Calling for both sides to de-escalate only gives Russia a pass. Russia is the aggressor here,” Thomas-Greenfield said at a U.N. General Assembly meeting Wednesday.
She called on Russia “to come back to the negotiating table and to work toward peace.”
11:55 a.m.: Ukraine’s foreign minister tells U.N., 'We are at a critical juncture of world history'
Ukraine’s foreign minister wants the world to join forces against Russia, arguing that Moscow’s aggression toward his country will have wider repercussions for the international order.
Dmytro Kuleba told the U.N. General Assembly that the deployment of Russian troops in rebel-held parts of eastern Ukraine and Moscow’s recognition of the rebel regions as independent amounts to an “attack on the United Nations.”
He said: “If Russia does not get a severe swift and decisive response now, this will mean a total bankruptcy of the international security system and international institutions.”
Kuleba urged countries to use tough economic sanctions, strong messages and “active diplomacy” to get Russia to back off from Ukraine.
“We are at a critical juncture of world history, and our actions today define it for years to come,” he said, drawing parallels with the leadups to the last century’s two world wars.
11:15 a.m.: Russian troops, tanks enter eastern Ukraine, Latvian PM says
“Additional” Russian troops and tanks have crossed into separatist areas of Ukraine’s Donbas region, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized them as “independent,” Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš told CNN.
“According to the information at my disposal, Putin is moving additional forces and tanks into the occupied Donbas territories,” Kariņš told CNN.
Sources confirmed to CNN that additional Russian troops have entered Ukraine since Putin said Tuesday that he was sending “peacekeepers” into the separatists’ so-called “republics” in Luhansk and Donetsk.
A senior U.S. official told CNN that Russia has deployed two battalion tactical groups, which are each made up of about 800 troops, to the region, though CNN cautioned it wasn’t able to independently confirm that.
11:00 a.m.: Ukraine banks, government sites under cyberattack
Ukraine’s minister for digital transformation says cyberattacks are disrupting government websites and those of some banks in his country.
Mikhail Fedorov said the distributed denial-of-service attacks targeted the websites of the Ukrainian parliament, Cabinet and foreign ministry.
He said they also caused interruptions or delays on the sites of the defense and internal affairs ministry, which controls the police.
NATO has blamed recent cyberattacks in Ukraine on Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency and warned further attacks were likely as tensions over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine mounted.
10:30 a.m.: Russia evacuates its embassy in Kyiv
Russia has started evacuating its embassy in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, as fears mount that Russian President Vladimir Putin might be about to order an invasion of Ukraine.
Russian state news agency Tass reported that Russia began pulling personnel from its diplomatic posts in Ukraine on Wednesday.
By Wednesday afternoon, the Russian flag was no longer flying over the embassy in Kyiv, and police surrounded the building.
The move came a day after the Russian Foreign Ministry announced a plan to evacuate, citing threats against Russians in Ukraine.
After weeks of trying to project calm, Ukrainian authorities also signaled increasing concern. The Foreign Ministry advised against travel to Russia and recommended anyone there leave immediately, saying Moscow’s “aggression” could lead to a significant reduction in consular services.
7 a.m.: Ukraine to declare state of emergency, Russia warns U.S. of 'consequences' of sanctions
As a possible large-scale Russian invasion looms, Ukraine plans to introduce a 30-day state of emergency and has begun the process of mobilizing its reservists, according to Axios.
The head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, said it will be up to regional authorities to determine which measures to apply, but they could include additional protection for public facilities, restrictions on traffic, and additional transport and document checks.
After weeks of trying to project calm, Ukrainian authorities signaled increasing concern on Wednesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been hesitant to mobilize troops and enact emergency measures over fears it would spark panic, but he said he had to, given Russia’s threats.
Ukraine does not plan to evacuate cities or villages in the east, and it has encouraged civilians to carry on with normal life. The government has pledged to use diplomatic tools to stop Russia, but if that doesn’t work, it is ready to fight and defend every inch of its land.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry advised against travel to Russia and recommended anyone there leave “immediately,” saying Moscow's “aggression” could lead to a significant reduction in consular services.
Tensions rose dramatically after Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, got the OK to use military force outside his country. The West responded with a raft of sanctions.
During a televised address on Russia’s veterans’ day, Putin praised the armed forces, saying, “Weapons that have no equal in the world are now on combat duty.”
After the U.S. and its allies moved to impose the harshest sanctions yet on Moscow, the Kremlin warned Americans will feel the financial “consequences” of the sanctions, according to the Washington Post.
Hopes for a diplomatic way out of a new, potentially devastating war appeared all but sunk as the U.S. and key European allies accused Moscow on Tuesday of crossing a red line in rolling over Ukraine's border into separatist regions — with several, including the U.S., calling it an “invasion.”
6:00 a.m.: China blasts US over approach to Ukraine crisis
China is accusing the United States of creating “fear and panic” over the crisis in Ukraine.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Wednesday that China opposes new sanctions on Russia, reiterating a longstanding Chinese position.
She said the U.S. was fueling tensions by providing weapons to Kyiv in response to Russia’s large troop deployment around Ukraine’s borders and fears of an invasion.
China-Russia ties have grown closer under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at talks in Beijing earlier this month.
The two sides issued a joint statement backing Moscow’s opposition to a NATO expansion in former Soviet republics and buttressing China’s claim to the self-governing island of Taiwan — key foreign policy issues for Beijing and Moscow.
5:30 a.m.: Pope says ‘the peace of everyone is threatened’
Pope Francis is urging all sides in the Russia-Ukraine dispute to examine their consciences before God and pull back from threats of war.
In an appeal at the end of his weekly general audience Wednesday, Francis said he was pained and alarmed by developments in Ukraine, which he said “discredit international law.”
He didn’t single out Russia’s massing of troops at Ukraine’s borders or its recognition of two rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine. But he noted: “Once again, the peace of everyone is threatened by vested interests.”
5:00 a.m. U.N. chief says world faces ‘biggest global peace and security crisis in recent years’
The United Nations chief says the world is facing “the biggest global peace and security crisis in recent years” and is calling Russia’s declaration of the “so-called `independence’” of separatist areas in eastern Ukraine a violation of its territorial integrity, and accusing Moscow of “the perversion of the concept of peacekeeping.”
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters Tuesday he is proud of the achievements of the U.N.’s far-flung peacekeepers, but when troops of one country enter the territory of another country without its consent, as Russian forces have done, “they are not impartial peacekeepers -- they are not peacekeepers at all” as Moscow has called them.
Guterres said Russia’s unilateral actions “conflict” with the U.N. Charter and are “a death blow to the Minsk Agreements” aimed at restoring peace to eastern Ukraine.
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