Ukraine Update Feb 20/21: Putin, Belarus, and Mobilization.

Putin has recognized the breakaway regions and ordered Russian troops to enter them.

While I will continue posting updates on the Ukraine situation I will NOT be posting any Ukrainian troop movement or any details of any Ukrainian military action/preparation.

Russian T-80BVM tanks at coordinates 50.539982, 35.848286 which is about 7 miles from Ukrainian border.

Putin's speech on Ukraine. It is bad. Very bad. Calls Ukraine once again "Soviet Ukraine created by Lenin". Sarcastically says he will "de-communize Ukraine for real". Putin says, Russia has paid all Soviet debt instead of sharing it with other republics. Blames Ukraine for undermining any constructive dialogue. Claims Ukraine has never had its statehood.

"We know every name of people who have done it. We will find and punish them"

Putin signs decree recognizing the breakaway regions.

Ukrainian President Zelensky speaks live: Russia has left Minsk agreement. Russia has officially acknowledged its occupation of parts of Donbas.Russia is a part of conflict and cannot be seen another way. We want peace and we are consequent. We have asked the UNSC for a meeting. We will see who are our partners, and who will continue to try to influence Russia with words only. We have right for self-defence according to UN Charta. No reason for chaotic steps. We will go peaceful and diplomatic way. We have fear for nothing.We are on our land. It is not 2014. It is 2022. We have strong army. We are not afraid. We want peace. We are one nation.

Glory to Ukraine!

President Zelensky addressed Ukrainians after 2am local time. “We are not afraid. We won’t cede anything.” He said Putin withdrew from Minsk Agreements by ordering troops into Ukraine officially. He called for emergency meetings of OSCE, Normandy Format, UNSC.

Head of Belarus' Security Council Volfovich: No one said that Russian troops would return to Russia tomorrow or the day after. The Allied Resolve exercise ends tomorrow but the Russian troop presence will continue. When the Russians depart will be determined by the commanders-in-chief (Putin and Lukashenko).

How quickly things change.

"Russia don't touch Ukraine!" 6 people unfurled banners against invasion in downtown Moscow. Waiting police immediately arrested them

Ukraine and Moldova move to cut energy ties to Russia.

Russian soldiers in not great conditions in Veselaya Lopan. They are from the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division and are both conscript and professional.

Luhansk (Russia) published a video of what the separatists claim is them removing a car of explosives before it could blow up a train of women & children evacuating to Russia. Metadata shows it was filmed (or at least edited) back in 2019.

What Russia claims is a Ukrainian artillery shell fired at the occupied areas. The copper driving band shows that the shell has never been fired.

Russian T-80BVM tanks with winterized camo, tactical markings, mounted machine guns, and extra fuel tanks. All unusual and concerning.

Economic action begins.

Eyewitnesses report that in Luhansk the military commandant's office takes men off the street and put them on buses.

Presented without comment.

Locals in occupied Donbass say forced mobilization is in full swing, Russian proxies are taking men away from their homes and even grabbing them off the streets.

“Wanted to even take the little one. He is 15”

On Jan 31 Germany shut down three nuclear power plants. The same day the USA granted Qatar "Major Non-NATO Ally" status, almost certainly in exchange for assistance getting gas for Germany.

"Gazprom, a Russian state-owned company, is deliberately trying to store and deliver as little as possible,” - Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president.

The EU has said it would be able to cope with a partial cut-off of gas and has spoken with the USA, Qatar, Egypt, Azerbaijan and other countries.

Video posted by Ukrainian Army. "Зберігайте спокій та вірте в ЗСУ" [Keep calm and believe in the Armed Forces]

Nice soundtrack.

Disturbing. Also probably true.

Source is Radio Free Europe but given the fact that many conscript soldiers have been seen this is believable. The only question is scale.

German airliner Lufthansa cuts off Ukraine. They are still flying to Moscow.

Russian shelling of a Ukrainian border post.

NATO speaks in favor of Ukraine.

Captain Sidorov Anton Olegovich Sidorov, a soldier of the 30th OMBR. Slain by Russian shelling on Feb 19.

He had three daughters.

Ukrainian soldier plays chess on his phone in a helicopter. Ukrainian morale remains high.

Singing in the Kyiv metro.

Events are moving fast and are showing no signs of slowing. The final diplomatic efforts have begun. I hope they will succeed but I know that hope becomes further every day.

To be clear the USA and NATO will not go to war. Even if they wanted to - and they do not - they lack the troops in the region.

Reject misinformation. Stay informed. Stay safe.

РАЗОМ ПЕРЕМОЖЕМО!