News Live

US State Dept issues readout of Sec State Antony Blinken's conversation today with Poland's foreign minister, Zbigniew Rau, re: Russia and Ukraine

The Times: British government officials said the situation had changed in the last 24 hours, and that Putin had made the decision to invade Ukraine

"Union of volunteers of Donbas" gathering meeting in Moscow on 19th February

Some users in Kramatorsk, Lysychansk, Druzhkivka, Severodonetsk, Kostyantynivka report issues with Vodafone connection/mobile internet

Russian MoD map showing the 291st Motorized Rifle regimentand 136th Motorized Rifle Brigade returning from Crimea to Chechnya and Dagestan. The 1st Tank Army unit is the 6th Independent Tank Brigade/47th Tank Division

En route from UN Security Council to Munich Security Conference, both focused on Ukraine, @SecBlinken had a call w UN envoy for Yemen

Imagery acquired by @capellaspace on 16FEB2021 shows loading/unloading activity of a Ropucha-class LST at Sevastopol

Commander-in-chief of Ukrainian army Zaluzhny on possible evacuation in occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions says that Ukraine is not planning any offensive operation or targeting of civilians infrastructure. Says such preparations could suggest provocations

.@thejointstaff's Gen Milley spoke with Britain's Chief of the Defense Staff Adm. Sir Tony Radakin

Nearly half of Russian forces massed near Ukraine are now within 30 miles (48 km) of the border, British sources say - Guardian

House caught fire in Stanytsa Luhanska as result of shelling

Intelligence gathering missions over Ukraine: -RAF RC-135W Rivet Joint ZZ664 orbiting over Ukraine near Belarus border. -RAF RC-135W Rivet Joint ZZ664 U-Turn over Poland -USAF RQ4 Global Hawk heading towards the Donbass

Ukraine will not negotiate with pro-Russian militants, because it is nonsense, said Zelensky

Reports of renewed shelling in the area of Stanytsa Luhanska and area of Lysychansk

Self-propelled artillery filmed today in Borki, Belgorod region

Blinken: Russia says it is drawing down those forces. We don't see that happening on the ground. Our information indicates clearly that these forces including ground troops, aircraft, ships are preparing to launch an attack against Ukraine in the coming DAYS

British Minister of State: We condemn the proposal of the Russian State Duma to recognize the independence of the regions of eastern Ukraine

British Minister of State for Europe and North America: Russia has fabricated a dispute in the Donbass and continues to fuel it

Blinken says he invited Russian foreign minister Lavrov to meet next week to "discuss the steps that we can take to resolve this crisis without conflict." Alongside meetings at NATO-Russia Council and OSCE

Sec Blinken says he is laying out in detail what the US is seeing to push Russia to abandon the path of war & US will be "relieved if Russia does not invade Ukraine and US "will gladly accept any criticism" if there is not an invasion

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken says Russia's military buildup of 'more' than 150,000 troops on Ukraine's border is a 'manufactured provocation'

Blinken: "I am here today not to start a war, but to prevent one. The information I presented here is validated by what we've seen unfolding in plain sight before our eyes for months”

Blinken: "Russia may describe this event as ethnic cleansing or a genocide, making a mockery of a concept that we in this chamber do not take light, nor do I take lightly based on my family history”

At the UNSC, Russian deputy foreign minister urges U.S. not to put itself in an "awkward position" by continuing to make "baseless accusations" about Ukrainian invasion. Speaking immediately after, Blinken says this is "a moment of peril" as Russia prepares for war

"The most immediate threat to peace and security is Russia's looming aggression against Ukraine," @SecBlinken told @UN Security Council

"This crisis directly affects every member of this council and every country in the world," @SecBlinken says at the UN

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister at UNSC: The Ukrainian army is using prohibited methods in eastern Ukraine

Russia is trying to distort reality and accuse Ukraine of shelling - Ukrainian FM Kuleba

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister: The Ukrainian authorities did not implement the provisions of the Minsk agreements

President Zelensky visited frontline today

OSCE chief monitor for Ukraine says monitors have been to site of kindergarten shelling and will report back more details

German fighter jets deployed to Romania

Speaking at the start of high-stakes UNSC meeting today, UN undersecgen @DicarloRosemary says the world cannot afford 'even the possibility' of further conflict in Ukraine

Ukraine, the UK and Poland announce a creation of a trilateral alliance during the UK foreign secretary @trussliz visit to Kyiv. Countries will cooperate in the areas of defense, economy, trade and countering disinformation

British Ministry of Defense: Russia retains a significant military presence that can conduct an invasion without further warning. Below demonstrates President Putin's possible axis of invasion. He still can choose to prevent conflict and preserve peace

Ukraine's defence ministry says shelling from pro-Russian forces has stopped as of 13.00 local time - Reuters

Russia has "enough troops, enough capabilities to launch a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine with very little or no warning time" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg "That is what makes the situation so dangerous"

Russian foreign Ministry comments on response: it is inappropriate to demand to withdraw troops from certain regions of Russia. Russia demands Ukraine implements Minsk agreements, the West should stop weapons delivery to Ukraine, withdraw what was delivered already, recall all instructors and advisors from Ukraine, prohibition of NATO joint exercises with Ukraine. Russia demands all U.S. troops and weapons withdrawal from Central and Eastern Europe, Baltic countries. Russia expects proposals on non-expansion of NATO. Russia highlights that questions on arms control cannot be considered separately from other points

SecDef Austin: no sign of de-escalation, "quite the contrary we see them add to the more than 150 thousand troops that they have already arrayed on that border even in the last couple of days." Added: "We even see them stocking up their blood supplies"

The Russians have delivered a written response to the United States on Ukraine crisis: "We can confirm that we have received a response from the Russian Federation. It was delivered to Ambassador Sullivan in Moscow today," says a senior State Department official

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the attack on a kindergarten in Ukraine was a "false flag operation designed to discredit the Ukrainians", adding: "We fear very much that that is a thing we will see more of over the next few days"

The Ukrainian MFA has summoned Israel's ambassador to Kyiv to demand an explanation, following Israeli media reports that Jerusalem requested Moscow's assistance in evacuating its citizens from Ukraine in case of war

Ukrainian president @ZelenskyyUa says that there is no other path for Ukraine than joining @NATO

US Defense Secretary said Russia inching troops closer to Ukraine, stocking up on blood supplies. He adds that "I was a soldier myself not that long ago. I know firsthand that you don't do these sorts of things for no reason"

Blinken is now flying to New York before Germany to face off with the Russians at the UN. Blinken will likely be the highest-ranking official there. US official says it's "perhaps the most perilous moment for peace and security since the end of the Cold War"

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield - "The evidence on the ground is that Russia is moving toward an imminent invasion. This is a crucial moment."

US Defense Secretary: We expect a cyber attack, fabricated activities, and disinformation campaigns before any actual attack

"There is nothing inevitable about this looming conflict. It can still be averted" per @SecDef on #Russia - #Ukraine

"A peaceful outcome that respects #Ukraine's sovereignty & territorial integrity represents the best outcome for Ukraine, to be sure, but also for #Russia & for the Russian people" per @SecDef

"I know firsthand that you don't do these sorts of things for no reason & you certainly don't do them if you're getting ready to pack up and go home" per @SecDef on ongoing #Russia military build-up along #Ukraine

"As President Biden said a couple days ago, we will if we must defend every inch of @NATO territory" per @SecDef "There is no reason, of course, that it should ever come to this. Just like there is no reason for #Russia to again invade #Ukraine"

"#Russia continues building up their military presence along #Ukraine's borders including in #Crimea, #Belarus, and in the #Black Sea" per @SecDef "In many ways, this brings Russian troops right up to @NATO's doorstep"

Russian MoD spox insists Russian troops will return to home bases at the end of exercises in Belarus on Sunday; also says tank forces are returning to Nizhny Novgorod from the Kursk and Bryansk region (bordering Ukraine)

UK foreign secretary Truss says reports of alleged abnormal military activity by Ukraine in Donbas are a blatant attempt by the Russian government to fabricate pretexts for invasion

President Zelensky:The shelling of a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska by pro-Russian forces is a big provocation. It's important that diplomats and the @OSCE remain in Ukraine, their monitoring activities are an additional deterrent. We need an effective mechanism for recording all ceasefire violations

Joint Forces Operation: 29 ceasefire violations since midnight to 11am. 122mm, 120mm artillery, 82 mm mortars, greande launchers used. Tanks shelled Troitske

Royal Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III reg. ZZ178 as RRR6816 is over Ukraine and will likely land at Kyiv Boryspil Airport

A locomotive depot in Stanytsia Luhanska district of Nova Kindrashivska was also shelled today from non-government controlled territory of Ukraine, Ukrainian railways report. No injured, but a warehouse partially destroyed, locomotive damaged

A new Russian military camp has been set up in northern Crimea

More reports of damage done by Russian forces attacks on Ukrainian government-controlled territory. A woman in Maryinka, Donetsk region, was injured after a shell landed next to a bus stop, close to a school, head of humanitarian mission Proliska reports

At 10:25 shelling targeted school in Vrubivka

Artillery shelling targeted power line near Schastia

Kremlin spox Dmitry Peskov: Ukraine's army has taken "provocative actions that have only intensified in the last day"

Ministry of Defense of Estonia: Russia is ready for war - Russian intel has compiled a list of targets in Ukraine in order to paralyse UA self-defence

Ukrainian FM: Ukrainian Stanytsia Luhanska village was shelled with heavy weapons from the occupied territory of the Donbas. Civilian infrastructure damaged. We call on all partners to swiftly condemn this severe violation of Minsk agreements by Russia amid an already tense security situation

Tensions between police and protesting entrepreneurs in Kyiv

Smoke seen at Russian Embassy in Kyiv

Shelling near Maryinka, west of Donetsk

Video from site of kindergarten shelling this morning. The kindergarten was on Ukrainian controlled territory

Russian forces 152mm and 122mm artillery targeting Ukrainian positions near Donetsk. Starting 10am at least 50 hits, shelling is ongoing

Lukashenka said that the decision on the recognition of the republics at occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine will be joint with Russia

Joint Forces Operation: Russian occupation forces used artillery to hit kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska, also power lines damaged. JFO evacuated civilians to the shelter

Russian forces targeted kindergarten in Stanitsa Luhanska this morning

UK Defense ministry estimating recent additions to Russian forces as amounting to 7000 troops in past 48 hours

Entrepreneurs protesting in Kyiv

Joint Forces Operation: 8 ceasefire violations yesterday

Occupation authorities in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk region and Russian media actively reporting that escalation all across the frontline

Artillery is active at Novopavlosky firing range in Luhansk region

Clashes audible near Stanitsa Luhanska.

Building damaged in Stanitsa Luhanska

Clashes audible near Zolote-5

On their call today, @POTUS and @OlafScholz "underscored the importance of continued transatlantic coordination on diplomacy and deterrence measures and the reinforcement of NATO's eastern flank if Russia further invades Ukraine," according to the @WhiteHouse

Imagery—again, taken by Capella Space and analyzed by @CSBiggers—shows a thinning Russian military footprint at Bakhchysarai in Crimea and vehicles being loaded onto railway transfer points. Though it's unclear where they're headed & for how long

Israel told Russia ahead of a possible invasion of Ukraine it will need help in evacuating its citizens & diplomats from the country. Israeli officials said the message was passed today in a phone call between foreign ministry DG @AlonUshpiz & Russian DFM Bogdanov

New @Maxar satellite images from the past 48 hours continue to show heightened military activity in Belarus, Crimea, and western Russia. Pics below are from Feb. 15 and show a new pontoon bridge over the Prypyat River in Belarus

"The risk of further Russian military aggression against Ukraine remains, the highest level of vigilance is required; a significant withdrawal of Russian troops has not yet been observed." Chancellor Scholz calls @POTUS

Zelensky: Diplomacy has succeeded in strengthening the armament of the Ukrainian army

Russia continues to build up military capabilities near Ukraine, including armored vehicles, helicopters, and a field hospital: Britain's top defense intel official "Russia has the military mass in place to conduct an invasion of Ukraine" said Lt Gen Sir Jim Hockenhull

The State Dept has stood up a task force on Ukraine in recent days, says @StateDeptSpox. He says it's a large team operating. Task forces are often stood up at the department to coordinate response to high-level situations, often crises, that cut across bureaus & agencies

.@StateDeptSpox Ned Price says Russia is spreading falsehoods, making up false claims of "genocide" of ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine-possibly as a pretext for another invasion

"We are particularly concerned" of mention by President Putin and others about baseless claims of "genocide" in Donbas as a pretext for military action by Russia in Ukraine, adds @StateDeptSpox

"More Russian forces, not fewer" at the border with Ukraine and they're "moving into fighting position," according to @StateDeptSpox

The @StateDept announces that @SecBlinken will travel to Germany for the Munich Security Conference @MunSecConf-coordinating with allies on Russia's threat to Ukraine will be high on the agenda

The European Parliament has now officially approved (598 for, 55 against, 41 abstentions) the 1.2 billion euro macro-financial assistance package for Ukraine. the hope is that the first disbursement can happen in early March

A U.S. official tells Reuters a service member assigned to the U.S. Embassy Kyiv experienced a "non-injury medical condition" and was transported to the Polish border where a U.S. Army MEDEVAC helicopter transported the service member to a local medical facility

Ukraine's Defence Minister says latest intelligence report shows no evidence of Russian withdrawal, still has 140,000 troops near borders

British troops and tanks have began leaving Sennelager in Germany and bases in the UK and are now on their way to Estonia to reinforce Nato allies

President Zelensky put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council on sanctions against Shariy and Guzhva

Local media in Siret, Romania, reported that a UH-60 Black Hawk landed at Ukraine-Romania border crossing. Video was reportedly filmed today at the border

Ukrainian FM Dmytro Kuleba: We continue to demand transparency from Russia, which ignored yesterday's meeting in the framework of the Vienna Document