The Latest Breaking News from Luhansk

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised the non-government-controlled areas of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as independent entities. This is a severe breach of international law. It is also a heavy blow for our diplomatic efforts to settle the conflict. For many years, France and Germany have tried to…

Russia’s recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, and fears of a military attack on Ukraine, have once again drawn the world’s attention to these two rebel-held separatist regions. They have been outside Ukrainian government control since Russian-backed separatists fought Ukrainian forces to a standstill in 2014, a conflict…

Pro-Russian separatist regions declared independence from Kiev in 2014

Vladimir Putin is wily, they say; he’s steps ahead of naive Western counterparts, ruthless at wielding his power for maximum advantage. And sure enough, there was the former KGB colonel Monday signing a piece of paper that Russia has recognized two breakaway Ukrainian regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, as independent —…

The crisis escalated on Monday when Mr Putin announced he would recognise the two breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk

The Ukrainian military announced a soldier had died and six others were injured in a heavy shelling attack by pro-Russian separatists as Vladimir Putin called for the world to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk as independent

Civilians and soldiers on the ground react with a mixture of fear, resignation and determination to Russia ratcheting up the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Latest Ukraine news from February 23: Ukraine’s parliament has voted to approve a state of emergency.

Before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, it “recognised” two parts of eastern Ukraine as sovereign states: the so-called people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. That recognition is now central to what both Russia and the West are saying about the invasion.