In view of the escalation in the conflict with Moscow, Ukraine is preparing for an imminent invasion by Russian troops. Kiev ordered the mobilization of reservists and urged its citizens to leave Russia on Wednesday. The Ukrainian Security Council also spoke out in favor of imposing a nationwide state of emergency. There was no sign of a diplomatic way out of the conflict: Russian President Vladimir Putin described his country’s interests as “non-negotiable”.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on the approximately three million Ukrainians living in Russia to leave the country immediately because of “possible Russian aggression”. The military also ordered the mobilization of around 250,000 reservists aged between 18 and 60.
Vladimir Putin announces deployment of Russian soldiers
The day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had ruled out a “general mobilization”. Ukraine has around 200,000 soldiers, plus the reservists. The Russian military is far larger, with around a million active soldiers, and has been modernized and upgraded in recent years.
Ukraine’s Security Council voted in favor of imposing a nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday. The decision has yet to be officially confirmed by Parliament. In this way, the authorities could “more protect” public order and strategically important infrastructure and, among other things, check ID cards and vehicles more closely, said Secretary of the Security Council, Oleksiy Danilow. “We are prepared for anything.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine on Monday and announced the deployment of Russian soldiers. In response, the US, EU and UK imposed a series of financial sanctions on Russia and the separatists. Canada, Japan and Australia later joined. Germany halted the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
New satellite images show tents and vehicles in Russia
The West continues to fear a major Russian attack on Ukraine. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called it “very likely” that Putin also wanted to attack the capital Kiev. According to Truss, it is unclear whether Putin has already sent troops to eastern Ukraine.
According to Western sources, the Kremlin has gathered around 150,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian border. According to the US company Maxar, the latest satellite images also show further Russian military activities near the border. According to this, more than 100 military vehicles and dozens of troop tents in southern Belarus were relocated to the border.
Meanwhile, fighting in eastern Ukraine between the Ukrainian army and Moscow-backed separatists continued. “They started increasing the shelling,” said Dmitry Maksimenko, a resident of the small town of Krasnogorivka near the front.
The separatists in Luhansk on Wednesday reported the death of a militant. He was shot dead by a Ukrainian sniper, they said. According to them, a civilian was also killed.