Ukraine: Civilian killed in separatist bombing – New explosions in Donetsk

One civilian killed in separatist bombing in eastern Donetsk Ukrainethe regional governor announced on Monday afternoon.

The victim, a man born in 1970, was killed in the village of Novoluganske, AFP reports. The bombing also caused power outages, heating and damage to a gas pipeline, Governor Pavlo Kirilenko said on Facebook.

The sound of multiple explosions was heard around 18.15 (Greek time), in the center of the city Donetskwhich is controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, was quoted as saying by the Reutrers news agency.

The nature of the explosions, however, has not been clarified.

RT, of Russian interests, also reported on these explosions a little earlier.

“The Russian army is ready to invade Ukraine,” Reuters reported

It is pointed out that Western concerns that Russia will attack Ukraine have intensified in recent hoursas Russian military units are now “on standby” for a large-scale invasion and the future looks bleak, as three top Western officials said earlier today.

The officials, who did not want to be named, told Reuters that Russian military units, which have been concentrated around the neighboring country’s border, are now “ready” to invade.

Previously, the West was talking about a possible invasion, due to the concentration of troops at the border, but not about preparing an attack, as there was only evidence. In the last few hours many NATO and EU countries as well upgradeopenly, their assessments of the riskiness of the situation.

They also said they did not know if the Russian president Vladimir Putin has (or has not) already ordered an invasion, but expressed concern about an increase (of troops), in the context of provocation, in the Russian-backed rebel areas in Ukraine, the BPE reports.

“Our concern about what we see in the field has only increased“, Said one of the Western officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. «The overall picture we have, I must say, is very bleak, with storm clouds gathering on the Ukrainian border».

A second official noted that Russian forces continue to strengthen, developing among other things S-400 systems, aircraft and armored vehicles.

Two thirds of these regular military units, battalions, are within 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Of these units, about half are now strategically developed.

«This is a move from being deployed for military operations to being on standby for military operations“, The official stressed, always, according to Reuters.

Today Putin’s decision to recognize Donbass “democracies”

It is pointed out that the decision on the recognition of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” and the “Luhansk People’s Republic” in Donbass, Ukrainewill be received from Russia today, February 21, as stated by the Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu noted, in fact, that the independence of these two democracies should be recognized, according to the TASS agency. These statements were made during the meeting of the Security Council of the country

Earlier, leaders of the two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine, which have declared themselves “Donetsk People’s Republic” and “Luhansk People’s Republic”, addressed the Russian president. asking him to recognize them as independent.

In the event that Putin says “YesAnd if Russia makes such a move, it could pave the way for Moscow to openly send troops to both regions, according to international media analysts.

Moscow in this case could use the argument that it is intervening as allied to protect them against Ukraine.

Donbass

Source: News Beast

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