00:05Russia's President Vladimir Putin recognized as independent two separatist regions of Ukraine
00:07today, and hours later ordered Russian troops to conduct what the Kremlin called a peacekeeping
00:12operation in those regions.
00:14After Putin's earlier moves, the U.S., the United Kingdom and the European Union all
00:19announced targeted sanctions.
00:21Nick Schifrin begins our coverage.
00:23NICK SCHIFRIN, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to redraw the map of Europe.
00:29He recognized the self-declared republics Donetsk and Luhansk that, for nearly eight years,
00:34have been partially controlled by Russian-backed separatists.
00:39In Donetsk tonight, pro-Russian Ukrainians wave Russian flags, after Putin called Ukraine a
00:45colony with a puppet regime and warned of further fights.
00:48DONALD TRUMP, Russian President of the United Kingdom of the United Kingdom of Ukraine,
00:49We demand those who took over and retained the power in Kiev to immediately stop combat
00:54activity.
00:55Otherwise, the responsibility for continuing the bloodshed will lay on the shoulders of
00:59the Ukrainian regime.
01:00NICK SCHIFRIN, Russian President of the United Kingdom of the United Kingdom of Ukraine, and
01:01tonight, there is worry that bloodshed is already beginning.
01:04Putin ordered a, quote, peacekeeping mission into Donetsk and Luhansk.
01:09President Biden imposed sanctions on anyone doing business in rebel-held areas, and a senior
01:13administration official warned of further penalties if Russia invades.
01:18Inside rebel-held territory, with local cameramen filming, authorities have evacuated 30,000 mostly
01:24women and children, and called up men, young and old, to be ready to fight Ukraine.
01:30Russian forces are backing them up.
01:32U.S. officials tell PBS NewsHour at least one-third of Russia's 150,000-plus troops on
01:37the border have already left their staging areas and moved to attack positions.
01:42That's documented by new satellite images of new deployments of armored equipment and
01:46troops moving toward the border, including along two locations close to Kharkiv in Ukraine's
01:51east.
01:52Independent researchers say Russian troops surround Ukraine, not only in the east, but also
01:56south and north in Belarus, where exercises that were supposed to end yesterday have been
02:01extended indefinitely.
02:03These troops represent an existential threat to Ukraine.
02:06National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on NBC's Today.
02:09J. S. Well, we believe that any military operation of the size, scope and magnitude of what we believe
02:15the Russians are planning will be extremely violent.
02:18NICK SCHIFRINOlガER, U.S. Sent a letter to the U.N. that Russia was
02:21quote creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a
02:26military occupation.
02:27RACON HEiconveks The US sent a letter to the U.N. that Russia was quote creating lists
02:42of identified Ukrainians to be killed and sent to camp following a military occupation.
02:43the Black Seaport city of Odessa, those Ukrainian people wrapped themselves in the Ukrainian flag
02:49and chanted in Russian, Russians go home. NewsHour producer Volodymyr SolarHub was on scene.
02:55This predominantly Russian-speaking city back in 2014 still had a strong pro-Russian element.
03:02Now, eight years later, and with Russian aggression looming just around the corner,
03:07they say that the choice of this city is very clear. It's Ukraine.
03:11NICK SCHIFRIN-
03:14Alexei Hornashenko is a member of the Ukrainian parliament from Odessa who favors Ukrainian unity.
03:19ROYKES Hello, it's very important to show Putin that Odessa is Ukraine,
03:22that Odessa is the Southern Capitol of Ukraine, and nobody waits for him here.
03:27SO we need more sanctions now. We need weapons now. We need guarantees of security for Ukraine now.
03:34NICK SCHIFRIN- Odessa resident Arislava moved from Western Ukraine five years ago.
03:39Would you say that in those five years that you've been living here, you see a change in Odessa?
03:44Yeah, a lot of change and a lot of people here start to speak Ukrainian language,
03:50start to believe in Ukraine and start to read Ukrainian history.
03:55And they believe that Odessa will be Ukraine forever.
03:59And Nick joins me now for more.
04:02So, Nick, a fast-developing story today.
04:05What more do we know about what's happening on the ground?
04:09Judy, Russian media are reporting that there are armored columns of Russian forces moving from Russia into Donetsk and Luhansk.
04:17And there are videos on social media that are still unverified of Russian forces moving.
04:22But there is no confirmation right now by the United States that those forces are, in fact, moving into Donetsk and Luhansk.
04:32But the agreement, as we reported, that Putin signed with the self-declared separate leaders, does allow for Russian bases in Donetsk and Luhansk.
04:42It allows for Russian military infrastructure in those separatist areas.
04:48And it allows for joint protection, quote-unquote, of the border, which means, Judy, Putin is still maintaining a little ambiguity.
04:55He's laid the groundwork for war, but hasn't actually declared war.
05:00He laid the foundations of former military presence, but hasn't defined it.
05:04We still don't know his final move, which, of course, is his intention to keep us guessing.
05:09And, Nick, I know you've been talking to administration officials.
05:12What is known at this point about what the U.S. is going to do?
05:16NICK SCHIFRIN- Yes. So, as I just reported, the executive order that President Biden has just released bans all persons, all Americans, from working or operating in the self-declared republics of Donetsk and Luhansk,
05:31and gives the U.S. the authority to sanction anyone who's working there.
05:35But a senior administration official talking to journalists just now left it ambiguous whether the movement of Russian forces from Russia into occupied Donetsk and Luhansk would actually trigger that massive group of sanctions that the U.S. and its allies have been threatening.
05:52The senior administration official said, quote, Russian forces moving into Donbass would not be a new step.
05:59There have been Russian troops in the Donbass for eight years.
06:02But the official did say that there would be further moves tomorrow.
06:05They would continue to watch what Russia does.
06:08And those moves tomorrow could include more sanctions as well, Judy.
06:11All right. Nick Schifrin following this story throughout.
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