Live updates: World's eyes on Ukraine, as Russian troops mass

The New Arab's live coverage of the latest on the Ukraine-Russia crisis concludes for today.

Join us tomorrow for the latest news and analysis on Ukraine-Russia.

Make sure to follow our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date. 

US warns a Russian invasion of Ukraine could displace 5 mn people

Ukrainian government websites have come under attack, the ministry of digital transformation confirmed on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Internet observatory NetBlocks reported earlier in the day that there were signs that the websites for Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs, defence, internal affairs, the Security Service, and Cabinet of Ministers were coming under DDOS attack.

Ukrainian government websites, such as the ministry of foreign affairs, were not accessible throughout the day.

It follows reported cyberattacks on Ukrainian banks last week.

On Monday, Ukraine warned that banks and government agencies could be targeted by hackers, following tensions with Russia.

⚠️ Confirmed: #Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine and Cabinet of Ministers websites have just been impacted by network disruptions; the incident appears consistent with recent DDOS attacks 📉 pic.twitter.com/EVyy7mzZRr

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) February 23, 2022

Ukraine soldier dies in shelling attack: armed forces

A Ukrainian soldier died Wednesday in a shelling attack near the front with the Moscow-backed separatist east, the armed forces said, as fears mount of a Russian invasion.

Ukraine's army did not specify the location of the attack, saying only that one soldier "suffered fatal injuries" and another was wounded in the shelling.

This is a breaking story and more will follow on the website.

EU calls emergency summit on Russia-Ukraine crisis

The EU will hold an emergency summit in Brussels late Thursday on Russia's "aggressive actions" against Ukraine, European Council President Charles Michel announced in a letter to the bloc's leaders.

"It is important that we continue to be united and determined and jointly define our collective approach and actions," he said.

"Therefore, I would like to invite you for a special European Council (summit) on Thursday 24 February, which will take place in person in Brussels and start at 20:00 (1900 GMT)."

UN chief says world facing 'moment of peril' over Ukraine-Russia crisis

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the General Assembly Wednesday that the world is "facing a moment of peril" over Ukraine's crisis with Russia.

"If the conflict in Ukraine expands, the world could see a scale and severity of need unseen for many years," he warned the body.

Turkey 'won't recognise any step against Ukraine's territorial integrity': presidency

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Wednesday that Turkey would not recognise any move against Ukraine's sovereignty, and warned against a military conflict. 

Erdogan told Putin that Turkey would "not recognise any step against Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," his office said, adding that this was Ankara's "principled approach".

This is a breaking story and more will follow on the website.

BREAKING: EU sanctions will target key Russian "propagandists," such as the MFA's Maria Zakharova, RT's Margarita Simonyan and Rossiya-1's Vladimir Solovyov

— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) February 23, 2022

Turkey cannot abandon ties with Russia or Ukraine: Erdogan

President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey could not abandon its ties with Russia or Ukraine, and he criticised Western diplomatic efforts with Moscow as achieving little, broadcaster NTV and others cited him as saying on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on a flight back from Africa, Erdogan repeated his offer to mediate between Russia and Ukraine and said NATO member Turkey, which has good ties with both, would take steps that do not harm its bilateral ties.

Read the full story here.

Putin wants to 'negate' Ukraine as sovereign country: France

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin no longer accepted Ukraine's independence under international law. 

"President Putin in his speech (on Monday) declared in a sense the negation of Ukraine as a sovereign country," he told reporters after talks with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Berlin.

Le Drian said Putin's decision to recognise two breakaway regions in Ukraine smacked of "revisionism" and a bid to "reinvent history".

Read the full story here.

The White Helmets have voiced support for the people of Ukraine, amid the threat of an invasion by Russia.

The civil rescue group have saved thousands of lives in Syrian opposition areas following devastating Russian and Syrian regime airstrikes on towns and civilian infrastructure.

"It pains us immensely to know that the weapons tested on Syrians will now be used against Ukrainian civilians... We are saddened to see Ukraine being victims of a litany of violations that have pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable in international law," the White Helmets said.

It also said now is the best time "to hold Putin and his oligarchs accountable".

The White Helmets and Syrian activists have frequently decried a lack of action from the West over Russian airstrikes in Syria, which are believed to have killed thousands of civilians.

The White Helmets say they have lost 292 volunteer rescue workers, most of whom were killed as a result of direct targeting or strikes by the Syrian regime and Russian forces.

Read our full report on this story here

We are saddened to see Ukraine being victims of a litany of violations that have pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable in international law.
White Helmets statement of solidarity with Ukrainians
To read the full statement: https://t.co/2RVO8VWDkC#WhiteHelmets pic.twitter.com/PhQzRPKbiC

— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) February 22, 2022

Russia begins evacuating diplomatic staff from Ukraine: news agencies

🔴 #BREAKING
Reuters: The flag has been taken down at the Russian Embassy in Kyiv.#Russia #Ukraine

— Ahmet Mut (@mutahmett) February 23, 2022

Israel has issued its first statement on the crisis between Moscow and Kyiv since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into eastern Ukraine.

 The Israeli government said it supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, following threats of an invasion of the country by Russia, in the statement.

It said it was ready to offer immediate humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and willing to engage in dialogue between the two countries, Haaretz reported.

Israel has come under fire from the Ukrainian government for its lack of support during the crisis.

Israel has strong relations with Russia and the Israeli government has reportedly refused a request from Ukraine to purchase Iron Dome defence systems, according to local media.

This was due to the risk of upsetting Moscow, the reports stated.

This is a breaking story and more will follow on the website.

Today, First Minister @NicolaSturgeon met Ukraine's Acting Consul General Yevhen Mankovskyi, and Linda Allison, Chair of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain.

She reiterated @ScotGov's support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of #Ukraine🇺🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 pic.twitter.com/wG1IYGbGvS

— First Minister (@ScotGovFM) February 23, 2022

Putin wants to 'negate' Ukraine as sovereign country: French FM

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin no longer accepted Ukraine's independence under international law. 

"President Putin in his speech (on Monday) declared in a sense the negation of Ukraine as a sovereign country," he told reporters after talks with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Berlin.

This is a breaking news story, check The New Arab's homepage for the full report shortly.

Pope Francis said Wednesday that "increasingly alarming scenarios" were emerging in Ukraine that were threatening "the peace of all" amid fears of a Russian invasion.

Read the full story here.

After President Joe Biden's announcement of new sanctions on Russian entities, with more to follow, eyes are now on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to see what steps the Kremlin will now take.

Analysts and security experts appear divided on whether Putin might consolidate gains in eastern Ukraine or order Russian troops to assault the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

The New Arab's correspondent in Washington, Brooke Anderson, asked Ukraine experts about the roots of the tensions and how the conflict might play out.

Read the full story here

Senator Bernie Sanders has condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine, branding the sending of troops as a violation of international law. 

Vladimir Putin’s latest invasion of Ukraine is an indefensible violation of international law, regardless of whatever false pretext he offers. There has always been a diplomatic solution to this situation. Tragically, Putin appears intent on rejecting it. pic.twitter.com/PUNIJSZMEk

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 22, 2022

The Ukraine security council has asked parliament to call a state of emergency, according to AFP, following a series of defensive measures announced by the government.

Western intelligence reports suggest that Russia is poised for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

This is a breaking news story, check The New Arab's homepage for the full report shortly.

Ukraine is drafting a law that will see Ukrainians given the right to bear arms, given the threat posed by Russia of an attack on the capital Kyiv.

"The adoption of this law is fully in the interests of the state and society," the draft law states, according to Reuters.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday evening called up military reserves up to the age of 60, marking a full-scale mobilisation of Ukrainian forces in anticipation of a major Russian assault on the country.

Currently, Russian troops are thought to be present only in breakaway regions to the far east of Ukraine but Western intelligence suspects that Vladimir Putin is about to order a wholesale invasion of the country.

UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss has said she believes Russia is poised to attack the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, which would make a major escalation in the conflict.

"We think it's highly likely that he (Putin) will follow through on his plan for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine", Truss told Sky News.

Asked if the Russian leader would move on the capital Kyiv, she said: "We think it's highly likely that that is in his plans."

This appears to fit with intelligence reports from other western allies, including Australia, that Vladimir Putin intends a full-scale occupation of Ukraine.