Russian-backed separatists in japanese Ukraine additionally urge reservists to enlist amid fears of an escalation in combating.
The leaders of the japanese Ukraine breakaway areas of Donetsk and Luhansk have declared a full army mobilisation, strikes that come amid a spike in violence within the war-torn area that the West fears might be used as a pretext for an invasion by Russia.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin stated he’ll oversee main army drills alongside Ukraine’s borders on Saturday, whereas Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is headed to Europe to drum up help.
Russia has rejected US allegations that it was liable for cyberattacks on Ukrainian banking and authorities web sites as baseless.
Hey, I’m Linah Alsaafin and welcome to Al Jazeera’s persevering with protection of the Ukraine-Russia disaster.
Ukraine reviews a soldier killed in separatists shelling
The Ukrainian army stated a soldier was killed in shelling by pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine,
The Ukrainian militay stated on its Fb web page that it had recorded 19 ceasefire violations by the separatists because the begin of the day in contrast with 66 circumstances over the earlier 24 hours.
Separatists opened hearth on greater than 20 settlements, utilizing heavy artillery, which have been prohibited by Minsk agreements, the army stated.
Ukraine’s Luhansk insurgent chief declares normal mobilisation
The chief of the Luhansk separatist area in japanese Ukraine has adopted Donetsk in issuing a normal mobilisation order.
“I rule to declare a normal mobilisation on the territory of the Luhansk Individuals’s Republic,” stated the decree, which was signed by the area’s head Leonid Pasechnik.
Ukraine insurgent chief pronounces ‘normal mobilisation’
Denis Pushilin, the chief of the so-called Donetsk Individuals’s Republic – a breakaway area in Ukraine – has claimed his area’s forces had prevented assaults he stated have been deliberate by Kyiv, and that the Ukrainian military had continued assaults
“I urge my fellow residents who’re within the reserves to come back to army conscription places of work. Right this moment I signed a decree on normal mobilisation,” he stated in a video assertion.
“Collectively, we’ll obtain for all of us the victory we want and want. We are going to defend Donbas and all Russian individuals,” Pushilin added.
The announcement got here as a mass evacuation of girls, youngsters and the aged from the rebel-held territories within the Donetsk and Luhansk areas to neighbouring Russia was underneath method.
Russia rejects claims it was liable for cyberattack on Ukraine
Russia has rejected US allegations that it was liable for cyberattacks on Ukrainian banking and authorities web sites as baseless, the Russian embassy in the USA stated on Twitter.
“We categorically reject these baseless statements of the administration and be aware that Russia has nothing to do with the talked about occasions and in precept has by no means performed and doesn’t conduct any ‘malicious’ operations in our on-line world,” it stated.
We have now taken be aware of purely anti-Russian statements of Deputy Nationwide Safety Advisor Anne Neuberger, who accused the Russian particular companies of cyberattacks on Ukrainian protection companies and banks. pic.twitter.com/AVuyQ8swWl
— Russian Embassy in USA 🇷🇺 (@RusEmbUSA) February 19, 2022
US Deputy Nationwide Safety Adviser Anne Neuberger stated on Friday that Russian army intelligence was behind the latest spate of distributed denial of service (DDoS) assaults that briefly knocked Ukrainian banking and authorities web sites offline.
Struggle fears mount as Putin to supervise drills, Zelenskyy to fulfill allies
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is ready to supervise main army drills alongside Ukraine’s borders, whereas his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy is because of journey to Germany to fulfill Western leaders, together with US Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Kremlin continues to say it has no plans to assault, regardless of Washington saying a Russian invasion may occur inside days.
You’ll be able to learn updates from Friday, February 18 right here.