Russia-Ukraine crisis Highlights: Ukraine parliament imposes national state of emergency

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden announced tough new sanctions against Russia for "beginning" an invasion of Ukraine but said there was still time to avoid war. Meanwhile, Japan's Prime Minister has announced sanctions targeting Russia and two separatist Ukrainian regions recognised as independent by Russian President Vladimir Putin, joining an international effort seeking to pressure Russia to return to diplomatic solutions. Stay tuned for latest updates!

Ukraine under 'continuous' cyberattack: Kyiv

Ukraine is coming under a "continuous" cyberattack, the state cyber security agency said on Wednesday, with attacks sharply escalating in the past week.

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Ukraine parliament imposes national state of emergency, reports AFP

Biden administration plans to announce sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG, the company in charge of building Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and would be part of US-imposed penalties against Russia, reports Reuters quoting a source

Two separate convoys of military equipment seen moving towards Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine from direction of Russian frontier

One convoy incluses 9 tanks and another military vehicle with no identifiable insignia.

Ukraine coming under cyberattack: Minister

Ukraine is coming under a "massive" cyberattack, a senior minister said on Wednesday, with the main websites of the government and foreign ministry refusing to open.

Deputy Prime Minister Mykailo Fyodorov said the attack began in the late afternoon and affected several banks as well as official websites, without specifying its origin.

The official site of Ukraine's cabinet of ministers and the foreign ministry refused to open when AFP tried to access it on Wednesday.

But most of the main news sites in Ukraine were working, as well those of banks and the main public institutions.

Fyodorov said the functioning sites had managed to "switch traffic to a different provider to minimise the damage."

‘Our army is ready’, says Ukraine; vows to defend itself against any attack

Ukraine state of emergency could impose curbs on movement, information and media

Ukrainecould impose restrictions on the freedom of movement of conscripted reservists, impose curbs on the distribution of information and media and introduce personal document checks, according to a draft text on Wednesday.

The draft text needs to be approved by parliament on Wednesday evening and would come into force from Thursday.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed introducing a nationwide state of emergency earlier on Wednesday, as the country braces for a possible large scale military offensive from Russia.

Ukraine state of emergency to start from midnight, 24 February for 30 days

EU calls emergency summit on Russia-Ukraine crisis

The EU will hold an emergency summit in Brussels late Thursday on Russia's "aggressive actions" againstUkraine, European Council President Charles Michel announced in a letter to the bloc's leaders.

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

"Therefore, I would like to invite you for a special European Council (summit) on Thursday 24 February, which will take place in person in Brussels and start at 20:00 (1900 GMT)."

Ukraine soldier dies in shelling attack, says armed forces

Ukraine minister says banks also hit by denial of service attack

Ukrainian Parliament, Govt, foreign ministry websites down

Turkey 'won't recognise any step against Ukraine's territorial integrity': Erdogan

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Wednesday that Turkey would not recognise any move against Ukraine's sovereignty, and warned against a military conflict.

Erdogan told Putin that Turkey would "not recognise any step against Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," his office said, adding that this was Ankara's "principled approach".

Erdogan tells Putin military conflict with Ukraine will not benefit anyone - Turkish Presidency

Ukraine will ask Turkey to close Black Sea access to Russia if war breaks out: Ambassador

Pak PM Imran Khan leaves for Russia on maiden two-day visit

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday left forRussiaon a two-day visit - the first by a Pakistani premier in over two decades – during which he will hold talks with President Vladimir Putin and exchange views on major regional and international issues.

Khan is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior members of his Cabinet.

According to Foreign Office, the bilateral summit between Prime Minister Khan and President Putin will be the highlight of the visit.

Russia should be among countries to provide us security guarantees, says Ukraine Prez

Ukraine Prez says decision to suspend Nord Stream 2 should become irrevocable

US will cut Russia off from tech, resources if Putin escalates: US official

Russian President Vladimir Putin can do a lot more damage in Ukraine and the United States is prepared to respond by withholding technology and resources if he does, deputy USDeputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said on Wednesday.

"We're gonna cut him off from Western technology that's critical to advancing the altar, cut him off from Western financial resources that will be critical for feeding his economy and also to enriching himself," Adeyemo said in an interview with CNBC.

Russia says it has started evacuating its diplomatic staff from Ukraine

EU's Russia sanctions to take effect on Wednesday

A first, limited round of European Union sanctions on Russia will take effect on Wednesday, an EU diplomat said, blacklisting more politicians and banning trade between the EU and two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.

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Putin wants to 'negate' Ukraine as sovereign country, French FM says

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin no longer accepted Ukraine's independence under international law.

"President Putin in his speech (on Monday) declared in a sense the negation of Ukraine as a sovereign country," he told reporters after talks with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Berlin. - AFP.

Russian-backed separatist leader says help of 'big Russia' will bring victory - Reuters

EU member states approve sanctions on Russia

The European Union's member states have given their green light, via their envoys in Brussels, to a first package of sanctions on Russia, an EU diplomat said.

The sanctions still need formal approval by the foreign ministers, something that will be handled in written procedure by 1400 GMT and can normally be taken for granted after the EU ambassadors' decision.

The sanctions will enter into force once they are published in the EU's official journal, a step expected later on Wednesday. - Reuters.

Turkey's Erdogan says cannot abandon ties with Russia or Ukraine

President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey could not abandon its ties with Russia or Ukraine, and he criticised Western diplomatic efforts with Moscow as achieving little, broadcaster NTV and others cited him as saying on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on a flight back from Africa, Erdogan repeated his offer to mediate between Russia and Ukraine and said NATO member Turkey, which has good ties with both, would take steps that do not harm its bilateral ties.

"It is not possible for us to abandon either (country)," he was cited as saying by Turkish broadcasters. - Reuters.

Ukraine president has not discussed development of nuclear weapons, top security official says - Reuters

Russia's FSB security service says it foiled 'act of terrorism' in annexed Crimea

Russia's FSB security service said on Wednesday it had foiled 'an act of terrorism' in annexed Crimea and arrested six Russian citizens it said were supporters of a Ukrainian extremist group, the RIA news agency reported.

The FSB said it had also seized components for making explosive devices, RIA reported. Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. - Reuters.

Ukraine's top security official says Ukraine to introduce state of emergency in all Ukranian territory apart from Donetsk and Luhansk regions - Reuters

Pope Francis said Wednesday that "increasingly alarming scenarios" were emerging inUkrainethat were threatening "the peace of all" amid fears of a Russian invasion. (AFP)

The Ukrainian military issued an order to mobilise reservists on Wednesday afterRussiaordered its forces to prepare to secure rebel-held areas in the country's east. (AFP)

US Charge D'Affaires in Ukraine said there are uniformed Russian troops in Donbass now

Putin says Russia's interests 'non-negotiable' amid Ukraine crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday the country's interests were non-negotiable, as Moscow massed more than 150,000 troops on the borders withUkraineand the West punishedRussiawith new sanctions. (AFP)

We never think sanctions are best solution, says China

China has never thought sanctions are the best way to solve problems, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday, when asked if the Asian nation would join Western countries in sanctioningRussiaoverUkraine. (Reuters)

South Korea was in talks with the United States on the possibility of joining sanctions againstRussiaover the Ukraine crisis, but not considering military assistance, the Yonhap news agency said on Wednesday, citing the presidential Blue House.

Washington targets Russian debt in sanctions sweep

The U.S. government broadened restrictions on trading of Russian government debt on Tuesday in a bid to punish Moscow for ratcheting up its conflict with Ukraine, a move that analysts said might have a moderate impact near-term but could be a step toward harsher measures. (Reuters)

Japan sanctions Russia, separatist Ukraine areas

Japan's prime minister has announced sanctions targetingRussiaand two separatist Ukrainian regions recognised as independent by Russian President Vladimir Putin, joining an international effort seeking to pressureRussiato return to diplomatic solutions. (AP)

This Maxar satellite image taken and released on February 22, 2022, shows a close-up of assembled vehicles, part of a new deployment consisting of more than 100 vehicles and dozens of troop tents/shelters, at a small airfield known as the V.D. Bolshoy Bokov aerodrome near Mozyr, southern Belarus, north of the border withUkraine.

Biden announces sanctions that cut Russia off from Western financing

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced tough new sanctions on Russia for "beginning" an invasion of Ukraine but said there was still time to avoid war, even as Vladimir Putin signalled plans to send troops beyond Russia's borders.

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Australia sanctions top Russian officials for 'unprovoked' Ukraine invasion

Australia announced sanctions on eight of President Vladimir Putin's top security advisors on Wednesday following Russia's "unwarranted, unprovoked, unacceptable" invasion of Ukraine.

Pillorying Putin's decision to order troops into breakaway Kremlin-backed statelets in Ukraine's east, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a suite of sanctions that closely echoed moves from other US allies.

Biden, Putin signal bigger confrontation ahead over Ukraine

The East-West faceoff over Ukraine escalated dramatically Tuesday, with Russian lawmakers authorising President Vladimir Putin to use military force outside his country and US President Joe Biden and European leaders responding by slapping sanctions on Russian oligarchs and banks.

Both leaders signaled that an even bigger confrontation could lie ahead. Putin has yet to unleash the force of the 150,000 troops massed on three sides of Ukraine, while Biden held back on even tougher sanctions that could cause economic turmoil for Russia but said they would go ahead if there is further aggression.

A sign with an image depicting Vladimir Putin is seen during a rally outside the Ukrainian Consulate in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, February 22, 2022.

Air India’s special flight from Ukraine arrives in Delhi

India should stand with the West against Russia

This was supposed to be the week that Europe celebrated its blossoming relationship with the countries of the Indo-Pacific. Dozens of representatives from those two regions have gathered in Paris, where French President Emmanuel Macron hoped they could talk security and development without having the United States or China looking over their shoulders.

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