[Summary] US: "Russia May Launch Full-Scale Invasion Tonight"... Ukraine Declares National Emergency

Amid rising tensions surrounding Ukraine, on the 23rd (local time), an armored vehicle was loaded on a train stopped at the Rostov station in Russia, which borders Ukraine.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] The United States warned that Russia could launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine before the day changes.

As it was confirmed that Russian troops have completed preparations for the invasion, Ukraine immediately declared a national emergency, and U.S. President Joe Biden imposed additional sanctions. This comes just two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine and ordered a military advance.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with NBC on the 23rd (local time), "Russia could invade Ukraine before the end of tonight."

When asked if he believed the invasion would occur before the night ends, Blinken replied, "Yes." He confirmed, "Russia is finalizing troop deployments along all borders of Ukraine to the north, east, and south," adding, "I cannot specify the exact time and place, but all preparations for the invasion have been completed."

This is an accelerated timeline compared to earlier in the day when senior U.S. officials stated that Russia could launch a full-scale invasion within 48 hours.

U.S. intelligence agencies currently assess that Russian airstrikes, cruise missiles, and ground invasions are all possible. There have been continuous reports of Russian troops arriving in the pro-Russian Donbas region. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, announced that military support requests were received from the leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) in the Donbas region. This significantly increases the possibility of Russia declaring a full-scale war under the pretext of peacekeeping forces.

President Biden announced additional sanctions targeting companies and executives involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany. These sanctions effectively target Gazprom, the Russian state-owned gas company that holds 100% ownership. President Biden reiterated his determination not to hesitate in taking further measures, stating that harsher sanctions, including export controls, will be imposed if Russia proceeds with additional invasions.

The Ukrainian parliament approved a 30-day national emergency declaration. It is understood that Russia has already launched cyberattacks against Ukraine. On this day, Ukrainian government agencies and some banks were subjected to distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Ukrainian security authorities have identified Russia as the culprit.

Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) Security Council will hold an emergency meeting tonight at Ukraine's request.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.