Russia's Invasion of Ukraine - Consolidated Thread

[maybetoday]

Putin Tells Biden and the West to Pound Sand

By Larry Johnson

Published February 21, 2022 at 4:00pm




Putin is not going to “invade” Ukraine. Nope. But Russia now is prepared to fight on behalf of two independent Republics who ask for Putin’s help. Putin signed an agreement with the leaders of Donetsh and Luhansk respectively about 11 pm Moscow time on 21 February.



The Minsk Agreement is dead. By formally recognizing the Independent Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, Putin and his national security team are following the lead of how Western nations handled the breakup of Yugoslovia into three separate republics.


Any hope that Biden and his advisors had about using their hysterical verbal posturing to bolster Biden’s stature as an international statesman feared by the Russians was flushed down the toilet with today’s signing.



Here are the key points from Putin’s globally televised speech:



PUTIN SAYS UKRAINE WAS NOT ABLE TO ACHIEVE STABLE STATEHOOD AND HAS THEREFORE HAD TO RELY ON FOREIGN COUNTRIES LIKE THE UNITED STATES.

PUTIN: UKRAINE HAS BECOME ‘A COLONY WITH A PUPPET GOVERNMENT’

PUTIN SAYS UKRAINE PLANS TO CREATE ITS OWN NUCLEAR WEAPONS

PUTIN SAYS WE WERE PROMISED NATO WOULD NOT EXPAND PUTIN SAYS THE OPPOSITE HAPPENED

PUTIN: I WILL SAY SOMETHING IVE NEVER SAID FOR THE FIRST TIME: I ASKED CLINTON HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT RUSSIA JOINING NATO?

PUTIN SAYS WE SAW FIVE WAVES OF NATO EXPANSION RECENTLY

U.S. DOES NOT NEED SUCH A BIG COUNTRY AS RUSSIA IN NATO

‘WHY MAKE AN ENEMY OF US

PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA HAS EVERY RIGHT TO PROTECT ITS SECURITY, THAT’S WHAT WE’LL DO

PUTIN: UKRAINE DOESNT WANT A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION

PUTIN: RUSSIA WILL TAKE STEPS TO ENSURE ITS SECURITY

PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA WILL RECOGNISE INDEPENDENCE OF TWO BREAKAWAY REGIONS IN EASTERN UKRAINE

Putin emphasized his perplexity on the drumbeat from Washington, DC describing Russia as an enemy. He reiterated that Russia wants to be friends with the United States but, if the Americans continue to treat Russia as an enemy, Russia will take all necessary steps to defend the Motherland.



This is a watershed moment. Putin is daring the Ukraine and the West to attack the Donbas because Russia will defend the newly independent republics from invaders.



link

[maybetoday]

Putin's 'peacekeepers' in tanks roll into Ukraine separatist regions: Biden fears Europe will not join him in imposing crippling sanctions on Russia amid row over whether this constitutes an invasion

Russian tank have rolled into Makiivka, in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, as Putin promised to send 'peacekeepers' into the breakaway region

Pro-Russia residents were jubilant on Monday night after Putin in a press conference officially recognized two areas of Ukraine - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent regions

Biden imposed sanctions Monday against two breakaway regions of Eastern Ukraine as Putin made his move

The Russian president declared the two areas 'independent republics' and ordered in 'peacekeeping' troops

It triggered an evening of frantic diplomacy as the US and its allies tried to head off a full-blown invasion

The US, UK and France called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday evening

Earlier Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to 'discuss the events of the last hours'

A senior administration official later said more sanctions were expected to follow on Tuesday

He also said Putin was preparing his country for war, following a clear playbook of false pretexts

By KATELYN CARALLE, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ROB CRILLY, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER and WILL STEWART FOR DAILYMAIL.COM



PUBLISHED: 15:03 EST, 21 February 2022 | UPDATED: 01:18 EST, 22 February 2022




New videos show the Russian army's so-called 'peacekeeping' force on the ground inside Ukraine.



Military vehicles are seen in Makiivka, in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), recognized on Monday night as an independent state by Vladimir Putin.



Other footage showed Russian army vehicles at other locations in the DPR and neighboring Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), also recognized by the Kremlin.





Videos also highlighted celebratory fireworks let into the sky and the waving of Russian flags in Donetsk city following Putin's announcement.



The celebrations came as President Joe Biden issued an executive order banning US investment or trade with the two regions, while the State Department ordered its remaining staff to leave Ukraine for the safety of Poland.



Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the sanctions were designed to prevent Russia 'profiting off of this blatant violation of international law.'



Biden was on Monday night trying to get European allies to follow him in imposing sanctions.



'Clearly, the White House is talking to the Europeans,' said Bill Taylor, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, on CNN - suggesting the administration is holding off on tougher sanctions on Russia for the moment in order to get European partners on board.



Britain on Monday announced that they were following the U.S. in imposing sanctions.


Full story with pictures and video at link

[ShofarSoGood]

[Midnight]

'The invasion of Ukraine has begun': Sajid Javid issues stark warning as Boris Johnson vows 'first barrage of sanction' are ready to go after Putin ordered his troops to go in on a 'peacekeeping mission', prompting condemnation from the West


Russia has invaded Ukraine, Sajid Javid said today, after Putin ordered his forces into the country's east

Tanks and troops seen rolling into Donetsk overnight, putting the Kremlin on a crash-course with the West

Boris Johnson said 'first barrage' of sanctions ready to go, with US and EU also vowing economic punishment

Clashes reported in Ukraine overnight, with Kiev saying two troops were killed and 12 injured in shelling

Putin ordered his troops in after a nerve-jangling speech last night in which he seemed to be laying the ground for a full-scale invasion, while accusing the West of trying to 'destroy' Russia

By CHRIS PLEASANCE and NICK CRAVEN IN KIEV FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 02:59 EST, 22 February 2022 | UPDATED: 04:35 EST, 22 February 2022




Russia has invaded Ukraine, UK health secretary Sajid Javid said this morning, after Russian tanks, armoured vehicles and trucks were seen rolling into eastern regions overnight following Putin's orders to deploy on what he described as 'peacekeeping' missions.



A column of armoured vehicles was spotted in Donetsk, the main city of one of the two so-called 'republics', in the early hours of this morning. No insignia were visible on the vehicles, but there is little doubt they are Russian forces deployed on Putin's orders.



At the same time, Ukraine said heavy shelling broke out along nearly all 250 miles of its frontline with the breakaway provinces, leaving two of its soldiers dead and 12 injured in a major escalation in violence.





'We are waking up to a very dark day in Europe,' Javid said early Tuesday. 'We have seen that Putin has recognised 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.'



Prime Minister Boris Johnson, speaking moments later, said a 'first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia' will be revealed today - though stopped short of calling last night's move an 'invasion', saying instead that Putin is 'bent on a full scale invasion.'



Before Putin's order, world leaders including Joe Biden and Johnson had made it clear that any Russian incursion, no matter how limited, into Ukrainian territory would be considered a fresh invasion and spark an unprecedented flurry of sanctions. But the word 'invasion' was barely mentioned overnight and action was limited.



Biden banned all new US trade with the breakaway regions but stopped far short of the 'swift and decisive' response that had been threatened. White House spokesman Jen Psaki promised more sanctions will follow later.



Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, also avoided the word as he vowed sanctions against Russia today - acknowledging 'Russian troops are on Ukrainian soil' but adding: 'I wouldn't say that's a fully fledged invasion'. Even Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, avoided it in a 2am address to the nation, speaking instead of a 'violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine'.



General Sir Richard Sherriff, Britain's former top NATO commander, was more forthcoming - telling the BBC: 'This is the invasion of a sovereign country which could turn into a catastrophic war with warfare on a scale not seen in Europe since 1945. I think it's difficult to overstate the seriousness of the situation.'



Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking this morning, demanded 'harsh' penalties for Russia's actions.



Eyes will now be on the eastern frontlines to see exactly how far Putin is willing to test the West's resolve. In recognising Donetsk and Luhansk as independent, it was not clear whether he meant the parts currently occupied by separatist troops or the wider regions, which could mean rolling troops into a much larger piece of territory.



There are also strong doubts about whether Putin will stop at recognising the two 'republics'. In an nerve-jangling 65 minute speech to the Russian nation before signing his order, the strongman leader seemed to be laying out a case for seizing the whole of Ukraine - arguing it has no history of statehood, was 'created by Lenin', is a corrupt US and NATO vassal, and has been directly threatening Russia's security.


Continued at link

[Midnight]

[Midnight]

[schwartzie]

Ukraine: Zelensky Seeks End to Russia Diplomatic Ties After Hinting at Pursuing Nuclear Weapons


FRANCES MARTEL22 Feb 20221,143

5:44

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday that he was reviewing a request from his diplomats to cut all ties to Russia in response to Russian leader Vladimir Putin recognizing Russian proxies in the country as sovereign states and ordering “peacekeeping” troops into Ukraine.



Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, colonizing its southern Crimea region and investing heavily, evidence suggests, in pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region. Russia openly considers Crimea part of its sovereign territory but has previously denied being involved in Donbas. On Monday, Putin announced that he would recognize the two regions that together comprise Donbas, Donetsk and Luhansk, as sovereign states, and honor a request from their “governments” for Russian military support against Ukraine.



In an extensive, meandering speech, Putin repeatedly declared that Ukraine had no right to exist, was a Russian fabrication, and owed its existence entirely to Vladimir Lenin.



Putin made the move after President Joe Biden suggested in remarks to reporters in January that America would not intervene in the event that Putin engaged in a “minor incursion” of Ukraine. Following Putin’s speech, a senior administration official appeared to confirm that the Biden administration considered the move into Donbas a “minor incursion,” as “Russian troops moving into Donbas would not itself be a new step” that would trigger the full range of sanctions Biden had promised in January against any renewed Russian invasion.



Zelensky, who had expressed extreme exasperation with warnings from the White House for the past month of an “imminent” invasion of the entirety of Ukraine, had hinted in remarks this weekend that he believed Kyiv should consider building a nuclear weapons program. The country had abandoned all nuclear ambitions in 1994, signing the Budapest Memorandum that issued security guarantees from the West – meaning Western countries would fill in the defense gap left by Ukraine destroying its nuclear weapons – in exchange for Kyiv agreeing not to pursue nuclear weapons development.



“We see an attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state. I received a request from the Foreign Ministry to consider the issue of severing diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Russia,” Zelensky said on Tuesday. “Immediately after the press conference, I will work on this and other issues.”



Zelensky nonetheless offered the Russian government an avenue for “dialogue” rather than escalating the ongoing proxy war into an open war between Russia and Ukraine.



“We understand all the risks. We are again calling on Russia to resolve these issues through dialogue, to sit down at the negotiating table,” the president said. “We are ready to meet at any venue. In recent months, we have held consultations with almost all the leaders of EU, US, UK, Germany, France, etc. and offered any format of dialogue where the Russian Federation would be present.”



“We received the answer and that answer came yesterday. Ukraine must respond to this by defending sovereignty and our state,” Zelensky concluded, according to the Ukrainian government news outlet Ukrinform.

Continued at link

[shalom]

Blinken Abruptly Cancels Lavrov Meeting As Ukraine's President Calls Up Reserve Forces

BY TYLER DURDE
TUESDAY, FEB 22, 2022 - 05:40 PM


Two notable events late in the day Tuesday strongly suggest further escalation is on the horizon. First, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced he canceled his planned meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov which had for days been set for Thursday.



He cited as reason for the cancelation Russia's "invasion" of Ukraine. He said this invasion is in progress due to the Kremlin authorizing troops to go into the two breakaway republics of the Donbas region. "Last week, I agreed to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week, on Feb. 24, to discuss our country's respective concerns about European security. But only if Russia did not invade Ukraine," Blinken said while standing alongside his Ukrainian counterpart FM Dmytro Kuleba.





Via Reuters

"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," the US top diplomat continued. "I consulted with our allies and partners. All agree. Today I sent Foreign Minister Lavrov a letter informing him of this," Blinken said.



Moscow has continued to insist that it is not "invading" Ukraine, nor does it have plans to, after a senior White House official lodged the accusation during a morning CNN interview.

Continued at link

[shalom]

Ukraine: Zelensky Seeks End to Russia Diplomatic Ties After Hinting at Pursuing Nuclear Weapons


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday that he was reviewing a request from his diplomats to cut all ties to Russia in response to Russian leader Vladimir Putin recognizing Russian proxies in the country as sovereign states and ordering “peacekeeping” troops into Ukraine.



Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, colonizing its southern Crimea region and investing heavily, evidence suggests, in pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region. Russia openly considers Crimea part of its sovereign territory but has previously denied being involved in Donbas. On Monday, Putin announced that he would recognize the two regions that together comprise Donbas, Donetsk and Luhansk, as sovereign states, and honor a request from their “governments” for Russian military support against Ukraine.



In an extensive, meandering speech, Putin repeatedly declared that Ukraine had no right to exist, was a Russian fabrication, and owed its existence entirely to Vladimir Lenin.



Putin made the move after President Joe Biden suggested in remarks to reporters in January that America would not intervene in the event that Putin engaged in a “minor incursion” of Ukraine. Following Putin’s speech, a senior administration official appeared to confirm that the Biden administration considered the move into Donbas a “minor incursion,” as “Russian troops moving into Donbas would not itself be a new step” that would trigger the full range of sanctions Biden had promised in January against any renewed Russian invasion.

Continued at link

[Pink Rose]

Putin's poodle parliament authorise use of force outside Russia - paving the way for attack on more of Ukraine - after he sends 10,000 troops into Russian-held separatist areas: Boris sanctions three oligarch cronies, Biden targets banks


Vladimir Putin today asked Russian lawmakers for authority to use military force outside the country

It raises fears he is planning a wider invasion of Ukraine, having rolled troops into breakaway regions

Western leaders began sanctioning Putin over the move, with the White House describing it as an 'invasion' after hours of dithering - paving the way for 'severe' measures announced by Joe Biden

Germany's Olaf Scholz cancelled approval of Nord Stream 2 gas pipe in a dramatic hardening of his position

Boris Johnson sanctioned five banks and three of Putin's cronies, with EU also set to announce penalties

By CHRIS PLEASANCE and RACHAEL BUNYAN and NICK CRAVEN IN KIEV FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 02:59 EST, 22 February 2022 | UPDATED: 16:42 EST, 22 February 2022


Russian legislators have authorised Vladimir Putin to use military force outside the country, a move that could pave the way for a wider invasion of Ukraine after he rolled troops into rebel-held areas.



The unanimous vote in the upper house of parliament formalises the Russian strongman's order to send troops into Ukraine's breakaway eastern regions and allows him to use military force outside of Russia with immediate effect.



Holding a press conference to defend his decision today, Putin raised fears he is about to stage a land-grab in eastern Ukraine by saying his 'peacekeeping' mission will cover the whole of Donetsk and Luhansk regions including areas held by Ukraine. Russia still has around 190,000 troops massed on the border.





It is thought more than 10,000 Russian troops have now moved into rebel-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, with videos revealing columns of tanks rolling through the streets in the early hours. Some 6,000 troops were sent to Donetsk, 5,000 to Luhansk and 1,500 to the city of Horlivka, a source with links to Ukrainian intelligence said.



Putin denied that Russia has already sent in troops but vowed that he will 'fulfil its obligations' if necessary. He also issued a fresh list of demands to Ukraine - calling on Kiev to drop its NATO bid, declare neutrality, 'demilitarize', and negotiate directly with separatists. It is expected the demands will be rejected out of hand.



Meanwhile the White House began describing Putin's actions as an 'invasion' following hours of dithering, paving the way for Joe Biden to impose crippling financial sanctions on Russia and send more U.S. troops to the Baltic states on NATO's eastern flank after his resolve initially appeared to be wavering.



'We think this is the beginning of an invasion... and you're already seeing the beginning of our response, that we said will be swift and severe,' Biden's deputy national security advisor Jonathan Finer said early Tuesday, after top aides had shied away from using the word overnight.



As Russia's troops rolled in, fighting in the region escalated - with shells striking a power plant on the Ukrainian side of the line Tuesday morning after explosions killed two of Kiev's men and wounded 12 overnight.



German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had earlier led the Western response to Russia, ripping up a deal to open the Nord Stream 2 gas pipe - a move that will cost Russia billions of dollars in revenue but also hurt his own economy, saying that Putin's actions must have 'consequences'.



Boris Johnson then announced sanctions on five Russian banks - Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and Black Sea Bank - and three 'very high net wealth' individuals - Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg, and Igor Rotenberg - in what he called a 'first barrage', accusing Putin of 'a renewed invasion'.



Boris Rotenberg, a former judo training partner of Putin, is the co-owner of SMP Bank while Igor Rotenberg is his nephew. Igor became a billionaire after being handed a raft of investments by his father Arkady - who is currently fighting his ex-wife over ownership of a £27 million mansion in Surrey.



Timchenko is Russia's sixth richest man thanks to his ownership of investment firm Volga Group, and also an ice hockey fanatic.



Biden later ordered heavy U.S. financial sanctions against Russian banks and oligarchs and vowed steeper punishments ahead continues its aggression. He also said was moving additional American troops, fighter jets and helicopters to the Baltic states on NATO's eastern flank to 'deter any potential aggression against NATO member states'.



The EU also announced new sanctions on Russia that will blacklist more politicians, lawmakers and officials, ban EU investors from trading in Russian state bonds, and target imports and exports with separatist entities - but they did not go as far as sanctioning Putin.



Elsewhere today:



Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told Russia's parliament that Ukraine has 'no right to exist' as a sovereign state, as lawmakers voted unanimously to approve Putin's order

Andrey Rudenko, Russia's deputy foreign minister, said the country has the right to establish military bases in eastern Ukraine off the back of Putin's decree - but has no plans to do so

Ukraine's defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov steeled his troops to face 'losses', saying they will have to 'overcome fear and despair' but vowed 'certain victory' in the face of Russian threats

Dymtro Kuleba, Ukraine's defence minister, called for 'tough' sanctions against Moscow, before flying to Washington to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Zelensky said he is considering cutting all ties with Russia and told his countrymen to be 'ready' for Russian provocations, but added he still does not expect widespread fighting

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine continued staging what are widely believed to be false flag operations, claiming three civilians were killed in a car bombing

Russian stocks fell more than 8 per cent at opening, the ruble dipped to a two-year low, but oil prices rose 2 per cent amid fears of shortages

Vladimir Putin vowed to keeping supplying Europe with gas despite threats of sanctions, though some have already accused him of choking supplies

Continued at the link

[Pink Rose]

World reacts with fury to Putin's 'peacekeeping mission': International leaders call for sanctions and warn of global economic crash if war breaks out


World leaders reacted with fury after Putin ordered troops into eastern Ukraine

Called for sanctions and warned that a war could cause a global economic crash

Forces rolled into Donetsk after Russia's Putin recognised region as independent

West condemned Kremlin's actions but stopped short of branding it an invasion

US has levied only limited sanctions but promising a tougher response to follow

By LAUREN LEWIS FOR MAILONLINE and WIRES



PUBLISHED: 04:37 EST, 22 February 2022 | UPDATED: 11:42 EST, 22 February 2022


World leaders today reacted with fury after Russian forces were ordered into eastern Ukraine by President Vladimir Putin on what he called a 'peacekeeping mission'.



International leaders called for sanctions and warned that a war in Ukraine could cause a global economic crash after armoured vehicles were spotted in Donetsk, the main city of one of the two so-called 'republics' that Putin recognised as independent yesterday, in the early hours of this morning.



New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said there was no basis under international law for Putin to recognize the Ukrainian separatist regions, branding the decision to recognise them as a 'calculated act' to create a 'pretext for invasion'.





Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida criticised Russia for violating Ukrainian territorial integrity and said his country would discuss possible 'severe actions,' including sanctions, with the international community.



Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Russia should 'unconditionally withdraw' from Ukrainian territory and stop threatening its neighbours, describing the Kremlin's actions as 'unacceptable, unprovoked and unwarranted'.



Meanwhile South Korean President Moon Jae-in warned Putin to 'respect' Ukraine's sovereignty and territory - and said that 'a military clash against the wishes of the international community... would bring huge ramifications in the politics and economies of not only Europe, but to the whole world.'



Hopes are dwindling that a major conflict can be averted. Putin has ominously vowed 'bloodshed' if Ukraine's troops try to resist him and argued the nation has no history of statehood, was 'created by Lenin', is a corrupt US and NATO vassal, and has been directly threatening Russia's security.



And Putin still has 190,000 troops backed by hundreds of tanks, artillery pieces, fighter jets, heavy bombers and missile batteries encircling Ukraine from three sides - including just a few dozen miles north of the capital, Kiev.

Continued at the link

[Pink Rose]

Russia is accused of staging 'false flag' attack after claiming it killed five Ukrainian troops inside Russian separatist territory


Incident would be first fatal clash since Putin ordered troops into Ukraine's east

But analysts were quick to pour doubt on the alleged attack on Ukrainian troops

They pointed to footage of the incident, claiming it was filmed far from there the Russian military claimed Ukrainian forces crossed into Russian territory

Ukrainian officials said it was another example of Moscow inflaming tensions

By CHRIS JEWERS and STEPHEN WYNN-DAVIES FOR MAILONLINE and JAMES FRANEY EUROPE CORRESPONDENT FOR THE DAILY MAIL



PUBLISHED: 05:47 EST, 22 February 2022 | UPDATED: 07:28 EST, 22 February 2022


Russia has been accused of orchestrating a 'false flag' event after Moscow claimed it killed five Ukrainian troops in Russian territory.



In what would be the first fatal clash between Russian and Ukrainian forces since Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine's east on Monday, Moscow claimed it had ambushed two military units, destroyed two armoured vehicles and killed five.



But analysts were quick to cast doubt over the claims, which have resulted in fresh warnings that the Kremlin is looking to manufacture conflict as justification to begin a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.





In another incident, the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) claimed that bombing carried out by 'Ukrainian saboteurs' killed three civilians. A video of a reporter showing the damage was also questioned by analysts.



Ukrainian officials also dismissed the alleged incidents, with one calling on the Kremlin to 'stop your fake-producing factory now'.



The claims came as Russian tanks, armoured vehicles and trucks were seen rolling into eastern regions overnight following Putin's orders to deploy on so called 'peacekeeping' missions.



And at the same time, Ukraine said heavy shelling broke out along nearly all 250 miles of its frontline with the breakaway provinces, leaving two of its soldiers dead and 12 injured in a major escalation in violence.

Continued at the link

[Midnight]

Latest headlines from DEFCON:



February 23, 2022 - We continue to see large convoys of tanks allegedly rolling into Belgorod, Russia, and a new field hospital at a garrison near Belgorod around 12 miles from the Ukrainian border which indicates that something is going on there. Putin said last week he planned on ending drills as planned on February 20th. Read more


February 22, 2022 - There are many reports coming out from sources regarding an explosion that allegedly happened in Donetsk at a TV center. So far the root sources we've been able to track down all seem to be coming from the DPR and LPR which could be Russian propaganda. We will keep you informed as we get more information. Read more


February 22, 2022 - There are many reports coming out from sources regarding an explosion that allegedly happened in Donetsk at a TV center. So far the root sources we've been able to track down all seem to be coming from the DPR and LPR which could be Russian propaganda. We will keep you informed as we get more information. Read more



Taken from Defcon Level Warning System: link

[schwartzie]

Russia Dismisses Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky: ‘Child’, a ‘Monkey with a Grenade’


FRANCES MARTEL 23 Feb 2022
6:07

Russian lawmaker Andrey Lugovoy, who rose to international recognition as a top suspect in the polonium poisoning of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko, dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “child” and a “monkey” in a rant before the Duma on Tuesday.



The state-owned newspaper Gazeta relayed Lugovoy’s remarks against Zelensky and on the growing crisis in eastern Ukraine generally caused by Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize his proxies in the region as a form of legitimate state government.



Putin invaded Ukraine in 2014, colonizing its Crimean Peninsula and starting an ongoing war in Donbas, an eastern region consisting of Donetsk and Luhansk. While Moscow has been arming paramilitaries fighting the Ukrainian military for eight years, Putin formally sent the Russian military into the region on Monday after declaring Donetsk and Luhansk independent states. Putin rationalized the formalizing of the invasion by claiming that the leaders of those two “countries” had requested Russian military assistance to oust the legitimate government in Kyiv.



Lugovoy, Gazeta reported, “said that, due to a lack of political experience, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reminds him of a child playing with matches.”



“I would even say more – he rather resembles a monkey with a grenade. With a toy grenade, because he has no other,” Lugovoy reportedly said.

Continued at link

[ExquisiteGerbil]

Latvia Says Russian Tanks Entering Donbas As Australia Warns Of "Large-Scale Invasion" In "24-48 Hours"

BY TYLER DURDEN

WEDNESDAY, FEB 23, 2022 - 12:25 PM


The prime minister of Latvia says Russian troops and tanks have now moved into eastern regions of Ukraine which Putin has recognized as "independent". The NATO member country cited intelligence sources monitoring movements on the ground: "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."



The Latvian PM confirmed that additional troops continue pouring in to the separatist Donetsk and Luhansk republics: "According to the information at my disposal, this is exactly what we’re seeing," he underscored.


His words follow Biden the day prior stating that this marks "the beginning of a Russian invasion" - after there's been some level of confusion over just how the administration is defining "invasion of Ukraine". Despite strong rhetoric, Biden's relatively weak and very limited sanctions announced Tuesday do not actually suggest Washington really sees what's happened so far as in truth an "invasion".



Widely circulating social media videos - while unconfirmed - seem to also point to additional tanks and troops moving into the breakaway republics. The Kremlin is borrowing from the West's "humanitarian intervention" playbook and calling these "peacekeeping" forces.



Meanwhile, there are fresh reports Wednesday coming from the United States and "five eyes" intelligence sharing partner Australia. According to CNN the Biden White House is once again warning Kiev of an "imminent" Russian invasion:



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.



But then there's this crucial and perhaps ironic follow-up line in the report: "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."

Continued at link

[shalom]

[bloodbought]

Ukraine is hit by 'massive' cyberattack targeting the government and banks just hours after Boris Johnson pledged to send more British weapons and Putin boasted of his army's 'readiness'


Ukrainian government and banks hit in 'massive' cyberattack, similar to attack last week blamed on Russia

Comes amid fear of Russian invasion, with analysts warning cyberattacks would likely be the first phase

Ukraine was today placed on a war footing with state of emergency declared across the country, 200,000 military reservists called up, border areas restricted and citizens given the right to arm themselves

Boris Johnson pledged more British weapons to help defend Ukraine, and tougher sanctions if Russia attacks

Put earlier gave sabre-rattling speech to troops, praising their 'readiness' and boasting of 'advanced' weapons

By CHRIS PLEASANCE and JAMES TAPSFIELD POLITICAL EDITOR and NICK CRAVEN IN KIEV FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 03:43 EST, 23 February 2022 | UPDATED: 12:19 EST, 23 February 2022


Ukraine has been hit by a 'massive' cyberattack targeting its government and banks, just hours after a nationwide state of emergency was declared in preparation for a feared Russian invasion.



The websites of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service, and Cabinet of Ministers were all out of action Wednesday afternoon. Bomb threats were also phoned in to several government buildings, thought to be part of a psychological pressure campaign by Moscow.



Deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov said banks were also targeted in a 'massive' distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack - which uses computer networks to bombard websites with information until they crash - in what analysts have warned would likely be the first stage of a Russian attack.





It came just hours after the whole country was placed on a war footing: A state of emergency was declared, 200,000 military reservists called up, border zones were restricted and three million Ukrainians told to leave Russia, with Kiev acknowledging for the first time that an attack could now take place anywhere, at any time.



As the noose tightened, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to send more weapons to help Ukraine defend itself against what the US has warned will be an all-out Russian assault. Johnson also promised more and tougher sanctions against Russia if Putin escalates further.



Earlier in the day, Vladimir Putin had given a sabre-rattling address to his troops to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day, praising their 'battle readiness' while saying he is assured that they will fight to defend Russian security interests - which he called 'non-negotiable'. Russia also evacuated staff from its Kiev embassy.



Ukraine's security agency claimed 45,000 plastic body bags have now been ordered to the Russian frontlines, giving the first hint of the amount lives Putin is willing to sacrifice to get what he wants - after Joe Biden said supplies of blood for transfusions have also been brought in.



Defence Secretary Liz Truss warned that Putin is 'hell-bent' on a full-scale invasion of Ukraine with a direct attack on the capital of Kiev 'highly likely' to be in his plans. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison predicted the attack is 'likely to occur within the next 24 hours'.



Meanwhile the EU imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia targeting the defence minister, heads of the armed forces, all 351 members of its parliament, and prominent propagandists. It comes after the US and UK announced their own measures on Tuesday, targeting oligarchs and banks.



Russia hit back, saying 'there should be no doubt' that new US sanctions would be met with a 'strong response' which would be 'well-calibrated and sensitive for the American side' - while warning it is 'capable of minimising the damage' from American measures.



Biden had last night announced a first wave of US sanctions, warning he is ready with more if Russia escalates. He also ordered the deployment of more NATO troops to Europe - 800 soldiers to Italy, dozens of Apache helicopters to the Baltics and Poland, and raised the prospect of the alliance's first permanent base in eastern Europe.



Elsewhere today...



Twitter accounts tracking Russia's military buildup were being temporarily blocked, apparently after being reported en-mass by Russian bots

Fighting along the frontline between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels killed one Ukrainian soldier and wounded six others, with shells falling in villages close to the front

Russia claimed to have foiled a terror attack against a church in occupied Crimea and arrested six Russian citizens it said were members of a banned 'right-wing' group, in what is feared to be another false flag

Ukrainian troops along the frontline with separatists reported receiving text messages warning of a Russian attack and telling them to abandon their posts

Satellite images and photos from the ground showed that Russia continues to move troops to the borders, including newly-arrived troops in Belarus, close to Kiev

Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said conscription of men in the region is gathering pace to counter 'Ukrainian threats' and he is sure of support from 'big Russia'

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the General Assembly Wednesday that the world is 'facing a moment of peril' over Ukraine's crisis with Russia


Full story with pictures and video at link

[bloodbought]

Putin rewrites history to justify war: How Vladimir’s claims that Russia created Ukraine – with its more than a thousand-year history dating back to a Viking trading centre – are FALSE

Saying Ukraine is part of Russia serves Putin's ambitions. But it is also a fiction

Ukraine was a contested region of shifting borders for centuries before

It did not come completely under Moscow's rule until late in the 18th century

This was during reign of Catherine the Great, but control was not complete

By ASSOCIATED PRESS



PUBLISHED: 06:08 EST, 23 February 2022 | UPDATED: 08:01 EST, 23 February 2022


Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out his version of Ukraine's history, saying on Monday essentially that Ukraine was always part of Russia. While that serves his purpose, it is also a fiction. Ukraine has its own thousand-year history.



What is now Ukraine was a contested region of shifting borders for centuries dating back to a Viking trading centre more than 1,000 years ago.



The region did not come completely under Moscow's rule until late in the 18th century during the reign of Catherine the Great, and even then the Russian Empire was never able to swallow it easily or completely.





In his present-day effort to bring an independent, Western-looking Ukraine back into Russia's orbit, Putin is following a well-trod path of many of Russia's rulers before him - from Peter the Great to Josef Stalin.



For the West, the question is whether it can limit Putin's revanchist ambitions through diplomacy, sanctions and Ukrainian military resistance. Putin rewrites history to justify war: How Vladimir’s claims that Russia created Ukraine – with its more than a thousand-year history dating back to a Viking trading centre – are FALSE

Saying Ukraine is part of Russia serves Putin's ambitions. But it is also a fiction

Ukraine was a contested region of shifting borders for centuries before

It did not come completely under Moscow's rule until late in the 18th century

This was during reign of Catherine the Great, but control was not complete

By ASSOCIATED PRESS



PUBLISHED: 06:08 EST, 23 February 2022 | UPDATED: 08:01 EST, 23 February 2022


Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out his version of Ukraine's history, saying on Monday essentially that Ukraine was always part of Russia. While that serves his purpose, it is also a fiction. Ukraine has its own thousand-year history.



What is now Ukraine was a contested region of shifting borders for centuries dating back to a Viking trading centre more than 1,000 years ago.



The region did not come completely under Moscow's rule until late in the 18th century during the reign of Catherine the Great, and even then the Russian Empire was never able to swallow it easily or completely.





In his present-day effort to bring an independent, Western-looking Ukraine back into Russia's orbit, Putin is following a well-trod path of many of Russia's rulers before him - from Peter the Great to Josef Stalin.



For the West, the question is whether it can limit Putin's revanchist ambitions through diplomacy, sanctions and Ukrainian military resistance.

Full story at link

[Berean]

Blinken: We Hit Russia ‘Hard’ with Sanctions, ‘Everything Is in Place’ for Full Invasion I Have Reason to Believe Will Happen Today



IAN HANCHETT
23 Feb 2022
2:03

On Wednesday’s broadcast of “NBC Nightly News,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the U.S. has hit Russia “hard” with sanctions, he has reason to believe Russia will be engaging in something similar to a full invasion of Ukraine before the end of the night, and “everything is in place for Russia to move forward.”



Host Lester Holt asked, “Do you have reason to believe that, before this night is over, Russian forces will be engaged in something akin to a full invasion of Ukraine?”



Blinken answered, “I do. Unfortunately, Russia has positioned its forces at the final point of readiness across Ukraine’s borders, to the north, to the east, to the south. Everything seems to be in place for Russia to engage in a major aggression against Ukraine.”



Blinken added that he “can’t put a date or an exact time on it, but everything is in place for Russia to move forward.


Continued at link

[J.J.Gibbs]

Missiles rain down on Kiev and amphibious assault is launched on Odessa after Putin ordered 'special military operation' in Ukraine to 'denazify' it: Biden leads condemnation of 'unprovoked and unjustified' invasion as Ukrainian forces fight back

Vladimir Putin in an early morning address on Thursday said that he had invaded Ukraine

Putin said that it was a 'special military operation' in the Donbas region to 'demilitarize' the area

Putin insisted that it was not an occupation, as explosions reported in Kiev, Mariupol, Kharkiv and Odessa

Unconfirmed reports on Twitter appeared to show a huge seaborne landing by Russian forces in the Black Sea port of Odessa, involving large landing craft and helicopters shortly before 6am local time

Biden will address the nation at midday on Thursday and issued a statement saying: 'President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering'

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed that the Ukrainian people will 'fight back' if Putin invades

Ukraine was earlier on Wednesday placed on a war footing with state of emergency declared; 200,000 military reservists called up; border areas restricted and citizens given right to arm themselves

Boris Johnson pledged more British weapons to help defend Ukraine, and tougher sanctions if Russia attacks Putin gave sabre-rattling speech to troops, praising their 'readiness' and boasting of 'advanced' weapons

Video footage appeared to show clouds of smoke rising up into the night sky near Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, but it was unconfirmed whether it was as a result of shelling

By HARRIET ALEXANDER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and NICK CRAVEN IN KIEV and WILL STEWART IN MOSCOW and RACHEL BUNYAN FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 20:59 EST, 23 February 2022 | UPDATED: 23:53 EST, 23 February 2022




Vladimir Putin has ordered an invasion of Ukraine, describing it as a 'special military operation' and saying he wants to 'demilitarize', not occupy, the country.



The Russian president told Ukrainian service members to 'lay down their arms and go home' as he declared war on Ukraine in an early morning address to the nation.



Putin said Russia could not exist with a 'constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine' and clashes between Russian and Ukrainian solders was 'inevitable'.





Unconfirmed reports said that Russian forces had destroyed or rendered unusable the Ukrainian navy, and taken control of Boryspil Airport in Kiev.



Access to the Black Sea and Azov Sea was cut off.



Unconfirmed reports on Twitter appeared to show a huge seaborne landing by Russian forces in the Black Sea port of Odessa, involving large landing craft and helicopters shortly before 6am local time.



President Joe Biden will address the nation at noon on Thursday, and on Wednesday night he condemned Russia's 'unprovoked and unjustified attack.' He was speaking to Ukraine's president.



Biden said in a statement: '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 said he will be monitoring the situation from Washington, DC, and will continue to get regular updates from his national security team.



The developments came as:



Explosions were heard across Ukraine, with the capital Kiev coming under attack and the city's main airport appearing to be a target, as well as a nearby military base.

Reports said the port city of Odessa was coming under amphibious assault, while another Black Sea port city, Mariupol, was under fierce attack.

Military assaults appeared underway on Kharkiv in the far east of Ukraine.

Russia insisted in the early hours of Thursday that it was targeting military installations and avoiding populated areas.

Joe Biden was speaking to Ukraine's president in the early hours of Thursday, having earlier through his UN ambassador voiced his strong continued support for the country.

I don't for one second believe that Puddingbrain actually wrote this, or knows anything about it:



Continued at link

[schwartzie]

Headline updates. Click on the link below to see the full stories:


February 24, 2022 - The Ukrainian government has now imposed martial law according to local Ukrainian news reports. Read more


February 24, 2022 - Russian President Vladimir Putin is launching full-scale attacks on the entire country of Ukraine, not just the separatist locations. Read more


February 24, 2022 - Pray for the people of Ukraine under those explosions. There are around 500,000 people in that city that those bombs are raining down on, and they are most certainly living in a great deal of fear for their lives right now. Read more


February 24, 2022 - During the live broadcast by Russian President Vladimir Putin he both officially declared war on Ukraine, and added a warning to anyone who might get involved saying that they will have 'consequences that you never have had before in your history'. Read more


February 24, 2022 - Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly officially declared war on Ukraine in a live speech that is currently being broadcast. We will report more on what was said in the live speech as the information comes in, he's still speaking and he sounds very resolute. Read more


February 24, 2022 - The Mariupol live feed camera we were monitoring has been cut. Either it has been hacked or the live feed had too many requests from heavy site traffic due to the current situation. Pray hard for Ukraine and all of the people that are currently in danger! Read more


February 24, 2022 - There is currently a suspected missile attack in Mariupol, Ukraine happening. Live feed cameras of the city show heavy explosions and smoke billowing from the city. Read more


February 24, 2022 - Russia has closed the airspace along the northeast Ukrainian border for civil aviation according to NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) Read more


February 24, 2022 - I should point out, the official Ukrainian government websites have a virus. Confirmed by our intel team. DO NOT click on the link at the bottom of the page if you try to visit. I repeat the official Ukrainian websites have been compromised, don't click on any links on it. Read more


February 23, 2022 - According to Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba, there are "Worrying reports from Crimea on the entire night shift of Titan chemicals plant in Armyansk evacuated from the facility. This might be a preparation for another staged provocation by Russia. Moscow seems to have no limits in attempts to falsify pretexts for further aggression". Read more


February 23, 2022 - The Ukrainian Parliament has now declared a state of emergency. Decree green lights on the following measures: Document checks, ban on protests, evacuation of people from dangerous areas, ban on producing or spreading information that may 'destabilize the situation'. Read more


February 23, 2022 - The Latvian Prime Minister says that Russia is moving some forces and tanks into Eastern Ukraine, which would confirm previously unconfirmed videos that we have seen of Russia moving tanks into Eastern Ukraine. Read more


Taken from Defcon Level Warning System: Link

[schwartzie]

Who's he praying to - Satan?  I doubt the senile old fool even knows where Ukraine is, much less that a war has begun! 


Joe Biden ‘Monitoring’ and ‘Praying’ for Ukraine as Vladimir Putin Launches Military Operation


CHARLIE SPIERING
23 Feb 2022
1:34

President Joe Biden issued a statement late Wednesday night reacting to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement he would send a military operation in Ukraine.



“I will be monitoring the situation from the White House this evening and will continue to get regular updates from my national security team,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House on Wednesday evening.



Putin said in a speech his military operation was intended to “demilitarize and de-nazify Ukraine” warning other nations from interfering with his operation.



“To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside: if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history. All relevant decisions have been taken. I hope you hear me,” Putin said.


Biden scolded Putin in his statement, promising a firm reaction from the United States and European allies in the morning.



“President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” the statement read. “Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring.”

Continued at link

[maybetoday]

[maybetoday]

 

[ShofarSoGood]

Putin declares war as explosions rock Ukraine capital of Kyiv

By Callie Patteson, Samuel Chamberlain, Mark Lungariello and Mark Moore

February 23, 2022 10:14pm Updated

Russian, Belarusian forces train near Ukraine border


Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Wednesday night, ending weeks of diplomatic stalemate and plunging Eastern Europe into an aerial bombardment not seen since the darkest days of World War II.



The Russian leader claimed Russia was undertaking a “special military operation” to demilitarize and “denazify” the country under the guise Russia was defending itself.



Putin announced the operation in a live televised speech that aired before 6 a.m. local time, threatening countries that attempt to interfere with “consequences they have never seen.



Immediately following the speech, explosions were reported in the capital city Kyiv, Kramatorsk, Kharkiv, Odessa and Mariupol. It wasn’t immediately clear what the targets were.



Russian tanks crossed into Sen’kivka, Ukraine from Belarus Thursday, CNN footage showed. Images of the ground invasion aired after explosions were heard in the nation’s capital.



Ukrainian airspace was closed to civilian aircraft as the region was considered an active conflict zone. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued an alert saying there is a risk of “both intentional targeting and misidentification” of civilian aircraft.



The Ukraine military said that five Russian planes and one helicopter were shot down amid ongoing areal assault in the city of Luhansk.


The country also imposed martial law as Russian forces launched offenses across the country. A nationwide state of emergency had been in effect, giving officials extra powers to impose restrictions. Under martial law, military leaders are the absolute authorities of Ukraine’s civilians.



Highways could be seen jam-packed with vehicles early Thursday as Ukrainian citizens desperately tried to flee to safety.



Although official figures of casualties were not immediately released, some images showed Ukrainian citizens bandaged and bloodied from the bombings.


Continued at link