Is Russia invading?

Shelling reported in eastern Ukraine - USA accuses Putin of a feint

Created: 02/18/2022, 05:11

By: Florian Naumann, Patrick Mayer

Apparently ready for action: Russian tanks during target practice.

© IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

The Ukraine crisis seems to be headed for a new peak - observers are particularly worried about eastern Ukraine.

Joe Biden thinks a rapid invasion is possible.

News ticker.

• Ukraine crisis*

  : The situation remains confusing – fears of a Russian invasion continue to smolder*.

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken outlines a possible attack by Russia in the UN Security Council (

  see update of February 17, 10:10 p.m.

  ).

• Last but not least, the use of artillery in eastern Ukraine is a source of concern; NATO considers a “false flag” operation to be possible (

  see the first report of February 17

  ).

• This news ticker on the conflict in Ukraine is continuously updated.

Update from February 17, 10:40 p.m .:

Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kiev, is a guest in Munich.

In a media round with

, the former boxer commented on the threat of Russia invading his homeland.

Ukraine conflict: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken outlines possible Russian attack

Update from February 17, 10:10 p.m .:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russia not to invade Ukraine in a speech at the UN Security Council.

Russia must "leave the path of war and take a different path while there is still time," said Blinken this Thursday in the most important body of the United Nations.

A diplomatic way out of the crisis is still possible.

"The Russian government can announce today, without qualification, evasion or distraction, that Russia will not invade Ukraine," Blinken said in New York.

"And then demonstrate that by sending their soldiers, tanks and planes back to their garrisons and hangars and their diplomats to the negotiating table."

Ukraine conflict: US Secretary of State Blinken proposes meeting with Russian colleague Lavrov

In his speech, Blinken also explained how Russia would proceed in the event of an attack on Ukraine, according to the US assessment.

Moscow will first create a "pretext for an attack" - an act of violence for which Ukraine will be held responsible.

This could be a fake “terrorist bomb attack” in Russia, the discovery of an alleged mass grave in Ukraine, a fake drone attack on civilians, or “a fake or even real chemical attack”.

"Russia could describe this incident as ethnic cleansing or genocide," Blinken said.

In the past few days, Russian media had already begun to spread corresponding false news.

As part of the diplomatic effort, Blinken suggested meeting his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

The conversation could take place in Europe next week.

Update from February 17, 7:10 p.m .:

The West’s doubts are growing that Russia is serious about withdrawing troops from the Ukrainian border.

“We see they are doing the opposite of what they say.

In the last 48 hours they have increased their troops by up to 7,000 soldiers.

We'll take them at their word, but we'll judge them by their actions," British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Thursday.

Ukraine crisis: USA claim - Russia is even increasing troops

Update February 17, 6:55 p.m.:

Is Russia's claim to withdraw troops from the Ukrainian border a bluff?

A deception?

While the Kremlin in Moscow is declaring that it is ordering tank units back to their bases, the United States is accusing President Vladimir Putin's government of further escalating the conflict.

“We see them bolstering the more than 150,000 troops they already have deployed along the border.

Even in the past few days,” said US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin this Thursday:

“We see some of these troops moving closer to the border.

We see them flying in more fighters and support aircraft.

We're even seeing them stocking up on blood supplies.”

Ukraine crisis: Belarus ruler Alexander Lukashenko threatens NATO

Update from February 17, 6:30 p.m .:

While the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko is threatening NATO with Russian weapons, Moscow is announcing the withdrawal of its troops from the Ukrainian border.

“Only we decide when the Russian troops will be withdrawn - tomorrow or in a month.

The armed forces will remain in Belarus for as long as we deem necessary," Lukashenko told the 

state agency  , referring to a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this Friday.  

US President Joe Biden on Russia's alleged troop withdrawal: "That would be good, but we haven't verified it yet." © Alex Brandon/AP/dpa

Ukraine crisis: shelling in eastern Ukraine - separatists and army blame each other

First report from February 17:

Moscow/Luhansk – The Ukraine crisis is about to escalate again: in eastern Ukraine there was heavy artillery fire on Thursday.

Separatists and the army of Ukraine* blamed each other.

The United States warned that Russia could use this route to seek justification for military intervention, while NATO speculated that it was a false flag operation.

The tone of voice also intensified on the diplomatic stage.

US President Joe Biden* even raised the alarm personally: The risk of an invasion is “very high” and according to his assessment it could happen “in the next few days”, he said.

Russia expelled the deputy US ambassador to Russia - and responded to a US letter with new demands.

Ukraine crisis: Kindergarten shelled with artillery - NATO openly speculates about "false flag" action

The command center of Ukraine's military in the east of the country said on Thursday that Russian-backed militants had shelled the village of Stanyzia-Luhanska with heavy artillery.

A kindergarten was hit and, according to initial findings, two civilians were injured.

Photos posted by Ukraine's command center on its Facebook page showed civilians taking shelter in a basement and playroom at a kindergarten. 

This photo released by Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation shows a kindergarten building after alleged shelling by separatists in eastern Ukraine.

© Joint Forces Operation/AP/dpa

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Twitter that he had informed EU Council President Charles Michel about the "provocative shelling".

For their part, the pro-Russian separatists in Luhansk accused Ukraine of escalation.

"In the past 24 hours, the situation at the contact line has escalated significantly," said the leader of the people's militia in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, Yan Lezhchenko, according to Russian news agencies.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the reports of an alleged escalation by the Ukrainian military as "disturbing".

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was also concerned.

It is not known what is happening, but the Russian troop deployment in the border area with Ukraine is the largest in Europe for decades.

At the same time, it is also known that there are many Russian secret service agents in Ukraine who are also active in Donbass.

And we've seen attempts to use "false flag operations" as a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine: Russia and USA in conflict - Putin responds with new demands

In the meantime, Russia has issued an official letter to the USA calling on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe and the Baltic States.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin * had recently repeatedly called for an end to the eastward expansion of NATO and warned against Ukraine being included in the alliance, because in this case there was a risk of war.

In the letter, Russia stressed that it was not planning an attack on Ukraine.

The Russian letter is the response to the US written response to the security guarantees for Europe demanded by Russia.

The letter to the US side also includes the offer of new talks in the Ukraine crisis*.

Russia has again threatened military countermeasures if an agreement on security issues in Europe is not possible.

Ukraine crisis: Scholz threatens Putin, Russia expels US Deputy Ambassador

Chancellor Olaf Scholz* (SPD) again threatened Russia with sanctions in the Ukraine conflict.

"If there is military aggression against Ukraine, there will be consequences," said Scholz after an hour-long meeting of EU heads of state and government in Brussels.

The EU is prepared to react with sanctions.

Russia was already involved in a kind of sanction on Thursday: the deputy US ambassador to Russia, Bart Gorman, was expelled from the country.

This was confirmed by the US State Department on Thursday in Washington.

Russia's actions are groundless, "and we consider this an escalating step and are considering our response."

In the current situation, it is more important than ever that both countries have the necessary diplomatic personnel to facilitate communication between governments, Washington stressed.

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