The Latest Breaking News from Donbass

Factbox-How separatist-held regions of eastern Ukraine have grown closer to Russia

Moscow has cultivated close ties with pro-Russian separatists controlling swathes of the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine but denies being a party to their nearly eight-year war with Ukrainian government forces.

Reuters · Feb 21, 2022

Ukraine temporarily closes checkpoint in Donbass due to shelling

Ukraine on Sunday suspended operations at one of the seven checkpoints to territory in the eastern Donbass region controlled by Russia-backed separatists, due to heavy shelling, the Ukrainian military said.

Reuters · Feb 20, 2022

UK: Ukraine's 'Worst-case Scenario' Could Come Next Week

Ukraine could face the worst-case scenario of a Russian invasion as soon as next week, and Europe faced one of its most perilous security situations since the early 20th century, British foreign minister Liz Truss said on Saturday. "That worst-case scenario could happen as early as next week. The reality…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Feb 19, 2022

Putin tells Russian government to house people leaving Donbass

President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered the Russian government to house and feed people leaving two self-proclaimed east Ukrainian breakaway republics once they arrived in southern Russia.

Reuters · Feb 18, 2022

US and NATO officials ramp up warnings of potential Russian aggression in Ukraine

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken warned Thursday that Russia “is preparing to launch an attack” against Ukraine, echoing earlier comments from U.S. and Western officials who said an invasion could come any day and that Moscow would seek to use disinformation to create a pretext for such…

Los Angeles Times · Feb 18, 2022

West accuses Russia of trying to create pretext for war after shelling in east Ukraine

Joe Biden and Boris Johnson accuse Moscow of creating a ‘false flag’ after attack on preschool in Donbass

The Independent UK · Feb 17, 2022

Ukraine news – live: Biden expects Russia to strike ‘within days’ after ‘false flag’ Donbass school shelling

Western allies fear there will be more provocative attacks ‘over next few days,’ Boris Johnson says

The Independent UK · Feb 17, 2022

Blinken urges Russia to reject the 'path of war' at UN Security Council

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the UN Security Council on Thursday that Russia must abandon the "path of war" and urged Russia to declare unequivocally that it would not invade Ukraine. Hours earlier, Moscow expelled the US deputy chief of mission in a move the White House slammed…

France 24 · Feb 17, 2022

U.S. warns against Russian false claims being used as pretext for Ukraine invasion

The United States warned on Wednesday that Russia could use false claims about the conflict in Ukraine's Donbass region, including reports of mass graves and allegations of chemical weapons production, to justify an invasion of the former Soviet republic.

Reuters · Feb 16, 2022

Russia’s Parliament Asks Putin to Recognize Breakaway East Ukrainian Regions

Russia's lower house of parliament voted on Tuesday to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognize two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent and the European Union told Moscow not to follow through. The move by the State Duma, if approved, could further inflame a wider standoff over a…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Feb 15, 2022