The Latest Breaking News from Luhansk

KHARKIV, Ukraine — In an almost-hourlong address that alternated between furious anti-Western rhetoric and the excoriation of Ukraine as a puppet nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized two Ukrainian breakaway republics as independent, a move certain to further incite animosities with the West and escalate fears of an…

The Russian leader has called on his defence ministry to dispatch 'peacekeepers' to eastern Ukraine's two breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, according to a decree published early on Tuesday

KHARKIV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two Ukrainian breakaway republics as independent, a move certain to further inflame animosities with the West and escalate fears of an invasion that could ignite fighting reminiscent of World War II and redraw the map of Eastern Europe.

Move follows announcement by Russian president that he is recognising Donetsk and Luhansk

The EU had already warned of sanctions if Moscow recognised the regions

Russian deployment follows decision to recognise territories in south-east will be viewed in Ukraine and by other western allies as an occupation

KHARKIV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin called together his top security officials Monday to discuss whether to recognize the independence of two eastern Ukrainian enclaves under the control of Russian-backed separatists — a move that would further inflame tensions already close to a breaking point.

Pro-Russian separatist regions declared independence from Kiev in 2014

Russian president accuses Ukraine of ‘bloodbath’