The Latest Breaking News from Donetsk

Russia launches nuclear-capable missiles as US says Putin has decided to invade Ukraine

Russia president Vladimir Putin sat observing the aggressive war exercises on screens on Saturday along with the president of neighbouring Belarus Alexander Lukashenko

Daily Mirror · Feb 19, 2022

Last-ditch effort to avert Ukraine catastrophe

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched exercises by strategic nuclear missile forces on Saturday and Washington said Russian troops massed near Ukraine’s border were “poised to strike”.

Bangkok Post · Feb 19, 2022

Pro-Russian Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine limits daily cash withdrawals, TASS says

The central bank of self-proclaimed Donetsk republic in eastern Ukraine put a limit to withdraw a maximum 10,000 roubles ($129) per day from ATMs on Saturday, TASS news agency reported, as clashes between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces resumed this week.

Reuters · Feb 19, 2022

Multiple explosions heard in north of rebel-held city in eastern Ukraine

Multiple explosions could be heard on Saturday morning in the north of the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, a Reuters witness said.

Reuters · Feb 19, 2022

Russian invasion fears prompt Ukrainian rebels to order full military mobilisation

US president Joe Biden has said he is now “convinced” his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine

Wales Online · Feb 19, 2022

Latest Ukraine updates: Ukraine Europe’s ‘shield’ against Russia

Russia-Ukraine news from February 18: President Zelenskyy says Ukraine deserves stronger international support.

Al Jazeera · Feb 19, 2022

Ukraine rebels order full mobilisation as Putin oversees missile launch drills

Two separatist groups up the ante as tensions between Russia and the west escalate, and Ukraine’s leader heads to Europe to rally support

The Guardian - AU · Feb 19, 2022

Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine declare full military mobilisation

Russian-backed separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine declared a full military mobilisation on Saturday, a day after ordering women and children to evacuate to southern Russia because of what they said was the threat of conflict.

Reuters · Feb 19, 2022

OSCE reports more than 1,500 ceasefire violations in a single day in Ukraine

France on Saturday urged its nationals to leave Ukraine as the OSCE Special Monitoring to Ukraine (SMM) said it had observed “dramatic increase in kinetic activity along the contact line in eastern Ukraine". The news came as Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to personally oversee previously scheduled military drills…

France 24 · Feb 19, 2022

EU praises ‘restraint’ of Kyiv government; Blinken denounces Kremlin claims – as it happened

European Council urges Moscow to ‘de-escalate’ its military buildup; Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy says global security architecture is failing

The Guardian - UK · Feb 19, 2022