The situation is escalating in Ukraine as we watch the news. The world is terrified of the impact this conflict might have on the world. Yesterday, Russian President, Vladimir Putin declared that Russia will identify the territorial claims of its two states in the east of Ukraine. He has ordered his forces consisting of 92000 troops into Russian-controlled territory.
On Thursday, Putin announced a military operation in eastern Ukraine. He asked the Ukraine military to lay down its arms. Explosions were heard soon after his televised address in the capital and other parts of the country.
The President of the United States, Joe Biden warned that the world will hold Russia accountable and warned of a “catastrophic loss of life.”
The Indian embassy in Ukraine has sent around 240 Indians mostly students to India from Ukraine on Air India’s Boeing 787 aircraft. The flight AI 1946 took off from Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv at around 6 pm (IST) and landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 11.40 pm on Tuesday.
The tension of the situation leading to full-fledged war with masses losing their life has been simmering for the past two months.
Timeline of events
- The conflict started On November 10, 2021, Washington Bureau reported the Russian Troop movement on the Ukrainian Border.
- On November 28, Ukraine confirmed that Russia is trying to invade with 92,000 for an offensive at the end of January or early February.
- Moscow denies this and instead accuses Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine of a military build-up of its own, demanding “legal guarantees” that it will never join NATO.
- Ten days later Moscow demands limits on NATO’s interference and influence on the former Soviet states.
- On January 17, Russian troops begin arriving in Belarus a country bordering Ukraine and Russia for military drills. Moscow explained the movement as preparation at “thwarting external aggression”.
- Washington steps in two days later and announces an extra $200 million in security aid to Kyiv.
- On January 24, NATO puts troops on standby and sends ships and fighter jets to bolster Europe’s eastern defenses.
- On January 25, Moscow begins military exercises that involved 6,000 troops and at least 60 fighter jets in southern Russia near Ukraine and in Moscow-annexed Crimea.
- On January 26, Washington refuses the Russian demand of removing NATO’s influence and called their demands “unrealistic”.
- China comes into the picture supporting Russia. China demands that Russia’s security concerns should be “taken seriously”.
- On January 28, Putin accused the West of ignoring Russia’s concerns on NATO’s expansion and claimed that NATO has “strike weapons systems near Russia’s border”.
- On February 2, the United States sends 3,000 troops to protect NATO forces in eastern Europe.
- On February 10, Russia and Belarus begin 10 days of military movements.
- On February 15, Moscow announces some of its forces are returning to their bases. But NATO observes no sign of a withdrawal.
- Washington claims Russia is sending reinforcements.
- On February 17, shellfire intensifies all along the frontline of the two Russian-backed enclaves, the Luhansk and Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
- On February 18, the leaders of the Donetsk and Luhansk separatist regions say they are evacuating residents to Russia.
- On February 19, Ukraine says two of its soldiers died in attacks on the frontline with separatists backed by Russia.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposes a meeting with Putin, as Moscow test-fires nuclear-capable missiles.
- Washington announces that Russia is “on the brink” of invading Ukraine, France and Germany call on their nationals to leave Ukraine.
- On February 21, France says that Putin and Biden have agreed in principle to a summit. However, the White House is notably cautious and the Kremlin ( a fortified complex at the center of Moscow) says it is too early.
- The Russian military declares that it has killed five “saboteurs” who crossed into Russia from Ukraine. Ukraine denies the claims.
- On February 22, in a televised address Putin recognizes and announces the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. Putin orders Russian troops into separatist areas in eastern Ukraine on a “peacekeeping” mission. Several hours later, the UN denounces the decision of Russia and says it will put more sanctions on Russia
- The EU joined the UN and said that it will also adopt sanctions, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says.
- Moscow says Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is willing for talks with Blinken, whom he is scheduled to meet in Geneva.
Also Checkout: How has the Russia-Ukraine conflict shaken the Global Stock Market?
