Iran Press/ Europe: Russian President, in a decree, recognizes the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk in south-east Ukraine as independent states on late Monday.
"The UK will announce new sanctions on Russia later "in response to their breach of international law and attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.
"Vladimir Putin has already started to send tanks and troops to parts of eastern Ukraine," UK Health Minister Sajid Javid has said, adding that "We are waking up to a very dark day in Europe," he told Sky News.
He noted that Boris Johnson is currently chairing a Cobra meeting to agree on significant sanctions against Moscow.
It comes after the Russian President formally recognized two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine and announced he was sending troops to the regions.
Moscow said the troops would engage in "peacekeeping" in the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics.
Meanwhile, "during the past day, the Ukrainian Defence Forces recorded 84 ceasefire violations committed by the Russian forces, 64 of which by using weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements," the Ukraine Ministry of Defence reported.
Celebrations in Donetsk After Russia Recognises Its Sovereignty
Celebrations erupted in the city of Donetsk after Russian President Vladimir Putin formally recognized the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic on Monday. The regions declared their independence in the wake of the February 2014 Maidan revolution in Ukraine.
Following their 2014 declaration of independence from Ukraine, the region, known as the Donbas, became mired in war as Kiev sought to reclaim the territory. After nearly eight years of conflict, residents of Donetsk celebrated the news that Russia had formally recognized their sovereignty.
The Donbas region is predominantly Russian-speaking, and, according to a 2001 census, ethnic Russians make up 38.2% of the population of Donetsk.
Dating back to the 1990s, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the politics of the Donbas have been at odds with those of Kiev, Ukraine's capital city. The region voted to have their official language be Russian, a measure which was rejected in Kiev.
Since 2014, separatists have for much of the past eight years maintained control of the city of Donetsk, the largest city in the region.
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Putin recognizes Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states
