A Ukrainian soldier is the first victim of the conflict in the east of the country. And that night, an explosion destroyed part of the route of a key gas pipeline in Luhansk. US President Joe Biden said he was convinced that Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine in the coming days. Participants of the Munich Security Conference urged Moscow to exercise restraint.
Military mobilization was announced in the eastern regions of Ukraine.
Early in the morning the residents of Lugansk were awakened by a loud explosion. The explosion destroyed part of the Druzhba gas pipeline route. It is part of a network that supplies Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Belarus. Western countries have accused Russia of trying to fake a crisis in Ukraine’s breakaway eastern regions in order to find an excuse to launch an offensive.
Evacuation from Lugansk and Donetsk regions continues.
According to Russian media, dozens of buses have already arrived in the Rostov region, mostly full of women, children and adults.
At the Munich Security Conference, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged Russia to stop preparing for an attack on Ukraine or face dire consequences.
“Despite Moscow’s statements, we do not yet see any signs of a withdrawal or de-escalation. On the contrary, the build-up of Russian troops continues. We call on Russia to do what it says and withdraw its troops from Ukraine’s borders. It is not too late for Russia to “change its course. Stop preparing for war. And start working on a peaceful solution,” he said.
“A Russian attack on Ukraine would be a serious mistake with great political, economic and geostrategic losses,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
And last night, US President Joe Biden made an extraordinary speech saying he was convinced that Putin had decided to invade Ukraine.
“We believe that Russian troops will attack the Ukrainian capital Kiev, a city of over 2.8 million innocent people. If Russia goes ahead with this plan, Mr. Putin will be held responsible for a catastrophic and unnecessary war. I am convinced that he has made up his mind. “, he said.
Biden added that Russia can still choose diplomacy.