Europe

Moscow has recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Monday.

Russia’s army says its troops have opened fire on a “Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group” that attempted to cross into the country, killing five servicemen and destroying their vehicles.

Ex-Iranian ambassador to Baku: U.S. trying to drag Russia into war with Ukraine

The US has intelligence indicating orders have been sent to Russian commanders to proceed with an attack on Ukraine, according to two US officials and another source familiar with the US intelligence. Moscow denies any such plan.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov says Russia has no plan to invade anyone, and given its history is the last country in Europe which wants to even speak the word "war”.

A shell has exploded on the Russian territory, close to the border with Ukraine, local media reported.

Russia has expelled US deputy ambassador to Moscow, according to the American mission. Washington has emphasized that it would respond to American diplomat’s expulsion.

The units of the tank army of Russia’s Western Military District (WMD) are returning to the site of permanent deployment after conducting planned exercises, according to the Ministry of Defense.

Russia has announced military drills in Crimea have ended and that soldiers are returning to their garrisons. It comes a day after Moscow announced a first troop pullback from Ukraine’s borders.

Moscow does not want any war and this is why it proposed holding negotiations on equal security in Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday. Putting was referring to the Russia-Ukraine tensions.

Russian troops have completed their training drills in Belarus, close to neighboring Ukraine, and will begin returning to their places of regular deployment, the Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday. It comes amid fears in the West that the exercises could have been a precursor to an invasion.

World powers have warned Moscow that they stand ready to impose sanctions that would have a huge and immediate impact on Russia's economy, should it pursue any military aggression against Ukraine. Moscow rejects any plan to attack Ukraine, despite mass military deployment on borders.

Thousands of protesters convened in Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv on Saturday to show unity amid increasing concerns over a Russian invasion.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone talk with his UK counterpart Elizabeth Truss on the nuclear negotiations in Vienna and the situation around Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held phone talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Saturday over Ukraine tensions and Iran's nuclear programme.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a telephone talk with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday that Washington propaganda campaign on Moscow’s alleged aggression against Ukraine pursued provocative goals.

Diplomats and employees of the Russian consulates have started leaving Ukraine, an informed source told Sputnik on Saturday.

A Russian official says Tehran and Moscow are working to establish a mechanism to protect trade and financial exchanges from the threat of sanctions. That’s according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.

Troops from Russia and Belarus have kicked off the Union Resolve 2022 joint drills at training grounds on Belarusian soil. Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Thursday the exercises are part of the second stage of the inspection of the Union State’s response forces.

The U.S. Army general tapped to take over as top commander in the Middle East has warned if Russia invades Ukraine, it could create broader instability in the Middle East, including Syria.

European Union has eased its sanctions against Afghanistan to let humanitarian aid into the country. Afghanistan is going through a humanitarian crisis and over half of its population is starving.

The speculation of Western countries about how many days Kiev can fall in the course of a potential Russian invasion is madness and scaremongering, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy said on Sunday.

Russia says US-based Bloomberg News Agency is publishing baseless stories regarding Moscow’s plans to invade Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov added this makes it clear how dangerous West-triggered tensions are.

Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems have been deployed to Belarus and will go on air defense combat alert as part of an inspection of the Union State’s Response Force, according to the Russia’s Defense Ministry.

The deployment of US troops in Europe is the proof that Russia has a reason to be worried, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says.