Soldiers and sanctions Russia and the West make next moves as Ukraine braces for military escalation
On February 23, 2022, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council announced plans to declare a nationwide state of emergency for 30 days. A day earlier, Russia’s Federation Council granted a presidential request to deploy the military abroad, giving Vladimir Putin the green light to openly send troops into eastern Ukraine. In response, Germany halted the certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the United States, EU, UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan announced new sanctions against Russia.
Amid chatter on social media about a “traffic jam” on the road from the Russian city of Belgorod to the Ukrainian city Kharkiv, and unverified reports that Grad missiles have started landing near the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, Meduza is ending today’s live blog and wishing desperately for peace. Stay tuned for further coverage on our homepage.
Ukrainian government websites are being hit by another cyber attack, reports The Kyiv Independent.
The EU’s sanctions over the recognition of the “D/LNR” have entered into force
The sanctions list, published in the Official Journal of the European Union, includes Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, Putin’s Chief of Staff Anton Vayno, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, state television host Vladimir Solovyov, and family members of Kremlin-linked oligarch Evgeny Prigozhin, among others.
Sanctions were also imposed on the Prigozhin-linked “troll factory” known as the Internet Research Agency, as well as Rossiya Bank, Promsvyazbank, and VEB.
Ukraine has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council in response to the “DNR” and “LNR” formally requesting military assistance from Russia, reports Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
BREAKING: The Ukrainian Parliament has approved a presidential decree on declaring a nationwide state of emergency in Ukraine starting at 12:00 a.m. Kyiv time on Thursday, February 24. Ukraine will remain under a state of emergency for 30 days.
The open source investigators at Bellingcat have published a public database “documenting and debunking” questionable videos and claims related to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Russia’s censorship agency has sent a letter to YouTube’s parent company, Google, demanding that it unblock the channel of “DNR” leader Denis Pushilin, reports RIA Novosti.
Switzerland’s government says it will not impose immediate sanctions on Russia. However, the cabinet also underscored that it “wishes to ensure that Switzerland will not be used as a platform to circumnavigate sanctions imposed by the EU.”
BREAKING: U.S. President Joe Biden has announced sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
In a live broadcast on YouTube, “DNR” leader Denis Pushilin tells Russian state television host Vladimir Solovyov that Ukraine must voluntarily withdraw from the Donbas and “demilitarize.”
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reiterated Kyiv’s request for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission to Ukraine during a meeting of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
“I confirm that Ukraine has proposed some years ago to deploy a UN peacekeeping mission to Ukraine. Until now, the UN Security Council has failed to take the necessary decisions,” Kuleba said, as quoted by Interfax Ukraine.
YouTube has blocked the channel of “DNR” leader Denis Pushilin for violating the platform’s community guidelines, reports the Ukrainian media outlet Novosti Donbassa. Pushilin’s “official” website now links to his channel on the Russian video platform RuTube instead.
Resurrecting Rutube The Russian authorities have been investing in domestic ‘alternatives’ to YouTube, investigative journalists report
Resurrecting Rutube The Russian authorities have been investing in domestic ‘alternatives’ to YouTube, investigative journalists report
As you may recall, YouTube terminated several channels run by the de facto authorities in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk “People Republics” in early February.
OVD-Info reports that at least 13 people have been arrested in Russia today for picketing against the war with Ukraine. This includes nine protesters arrested in Moscow (six on Pushkin Square and three on the Arbat) and four in Nizhny Novgorod. Several of the protesters have been released already, but at least one person is being held over night.
In addition, two “National Bolsheviks” were arrested in Moscow at a rally in support of the breakaway “republics” in eastern Ukraine.
During trading on the Moscow Exchange on Wednesday, the U.S. dollar’s exchange rate exceeded 81 rubles for the first time since March 23, 2020.
Also on Wednesday, the official exchange rate of Ukraine’s national currency, the hryvnia, hit a seven year low against the U.S. dollar.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded “clear and concrete” security guarantees for Ukraine from both the West and Russia.
“It’s no secret that the Budapest [Memorandum] isn’t working. We understand clearly, without any illusions [that] today Ukraine is not in any security alliances […] We are defending ourselves with the support of our partners,” Zelensky said, as quoted by Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske.
Zelensky also underscored that he has repeatedly sought to meet Putin for talks.
“It’s no secret that I have invited the president of Russia to sit down at the negotiating table and talk many times, because this is a question of dialogue, and not a question of conditions and other things,” the Ukrainian president said.
State pollster VCIOM reports that 73 percent Russians support Moscow’s recognition of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk “People’s Republics.”
Traumatized by the news Levada Center director Denis Volkov on why we shouldn’t expect a ‘Donbas consensus’ following Putin’s recognition of the ‘republics’ in eastern Ukraine
Traumatized by the news Levada Center director Denis Volkov on why we shouldn’t expect a ‘Donbas consensus’ following Putin’s recognition of the ‘republics’ in eastern Ukraine
Breaking: European Union orders sanctions against 351 Russian lawmakers who supported D/LNR recognition
The European Union has officially adopted a new package of sanctions against Russia in response to Moscow’s recognition of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk “People’s Republics.”
The package includes sanctions targeting the 351 Russian lawmakers who voted in favor of a February 15 resolution calling on President Vladimir Putin to recognize the independence of the DNR and LNR.
Moreover, targeted restrictions will be imposed on another “27 high profile individuals and entities who have played a role in undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine.”
“These include decision makers such as members of the government, who were involved in the illegal decisions; banks and businesspersons/oligarchs supporting financially or materially Russian operations in the Donetsk and Luhansk’s territories, or benefitting from them; senior military officers, who played a role in the invasion and destabilisation actions; and individuals responsible for leading a disinformation war against Ukraine.”
The EU has yet to name these “high profile individuals.” According to media reports, the bloc’s sanctions will target the likes of Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, Putin’s Chief of Staff Anton Vayno, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, and catering mogul Evgeny Prigozhin, among others.
The sanctions also include restrictions on economic relations with the DNR and LNR, including an import ban, restrictions on trade and investments related to certain economic sectors, a ban on supplying tourism services, and an export ban on certain goods and technologies.
“The EU stands ready to swiftly adopt more wide-ranging political and economic sanctions in case of need, and reiterates its unwavering support and commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders,” the European Council said in statement on Wednesday.
Raising the stakes Meduza uncovers why the Russian State Duma asked Putin to recognize the breakaway ‘republics’ in eastern Ukraine
Raising the stakes Meduza uncovers why the Russian State Duma asked Putin to recognize the breakaway ‘republics’ in eastern Ukraine
Russia’s federal censor (Roskomnadzor) has drawn up an administrative protocol against the radio station Ekho Moskvy over a broadcast about Ukrainian language and culture, says editor-in-chief Alexey Venediktov.
Roskomnadzor claims that Ekho Moskvy breached the terms of its media license by broadcasting in Ukrainian. “We will challenge [the protocol] in court,” Venediktov wrote on Telegram.
Russian Foreign Ministry vows response to U.S. sanctions
The new U.S. sanctions package is another attempt by Washington to “change Russia’s course,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The American foreign policy arsenal […] has no other means left but blackmail, intimidation, and threats. With regard to world powers, primarily Russia and other key international players, this doesn’t work.” May the “cries” from the U.S. be followed by their satellites and clients that have fully lost their independence. But we are open to diplomacy based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, and consideration for each other’s interests.”
The Foreign Ministry also said that sanctions will not affect Russia’s determination to “defend its interests” and promised a response:
“There should be no doubt — a strong response will be given to sanctions, not necessarily a symmetrical [response], but [one that’s] calibrated and grievous for the American side.”
Breaking: Ukraine’s Digital Transformation Minister Mikhail Fedorov confirms that government websites are experiencing a massive DDoS attack. The apparent cyberattack is also targeting Ukrainian banks.
UN Secretary General refutes Moscow’s ‘genocide’ and ‘peacekeeping’ claims
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, UN Secretary General António Guterres refuted Putin’s claims that Kyiv’s actions in the Donbas constitute genocide:
“Genocide is a crime that is clearly defined and whose application must be done in line with international law. I do not think it is the case [here].”
Guterres also underscored that the UN will not consider the deployment of Russian forces in the Donbas a “peacekeeping” operation.
“I am also concerned about the perversion of the concept of peacekeeping. […] When troops of one country enter the territory of another country without its consent, they are not impartial peacekeepers. They are not peacekeepers at all.”
VK, VEB, and Promsvyazbank say sanctions won’t have a serious impact on their activities
However, Promsvyazbank noted that the sanctions restrict their ability to make foreign currency transactions using Mastercard and Visa cards, as well as their use in Western countries. VEB’s website went down for a period of time shortly after the sanctions were announced.
Experts told RBC that so far, the sanctions the U.S. and its allies have chosen are a “compromise option” that will not have a significant economic impact on Russia, but rather leave room for ratcheting up restrictions in the event of a further escalation by Moscow. FT Moscow bureau chief Max Seddon echoed this assessment in a tweet: “Biden is clearly trying to leave Putin an offramp by not sanctioning big state banks — Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank — because that’d cause problems for ordinary Russians.”
Breaking: A number of key government websites are down in Ukraine, according to reports for Ukrainian media. The official websites of Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers, Foreign Ministry, and Security Service are currently inaccessible.
U.S. sanctions recap
The U.S. imposed sanctions on Vnesheconombank (VEB), Promsvyazbank, and more than 40 of their subsidiaries (including the professional soccer club CSKA Moscow). Washington also sanctioned the sons of three Russian officials:
- Denis Bortnikov — a top manager at VTB and the son of FSB director Alexander Bortnikov;
- Petr Fradkov — CEO of Promsvyazbank and the son of Mikhail Fradkov, Russia’s former prime minister and the former director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR);
- Vladimir Kiriyenko — CEO of VK and the son of First Deputy Chief of Staff Sergey Kiriyenko (Putin’s domestic policy curator).
The U.S. also placed restrictions on dealings in Russia’s sovereign debt, extending existing prohibitions to cover involvement in the secondary market for Russian bonds issued after March 1, 2022.
During a video address marking Defender of the Fatherland Day President Vladimir Putin seized the opportunity to underscore that Russia has “weapons that are second to none in the world.”
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