Ukraine crisis live: ‘an invasion is under way’, US says of Russian troop deployment | World news

Putin has asked legislators for permission to use force outside Russia, which could pave the way for a broader attack on Ukraine, AP reports.

The Russian president asked the upper house of parliament for permission to use Russia’s armed forces abroad after formally recognising two eastern Ukrainian regions, the chamber’s speaker said.

Addressing the chamber during a part of an evening session that was broadcast on the chamber’s website, one of Russia’s deputy defence ministers said that Russia had been left with no choice, and asked to approve a deployment abroad.

US president Joe Biden will deliver remarks at 7pm UK time to provide an update on the situation concerning Russia and Ukraine, the White House has said.

From Lauren Gambino, our US political correspondent:

Ukraine is cautiously optimistic that its allies are finally listening to Kyiv about the need to impose sanctions on Russia, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Speaking at a briefing, Kuleba said he would have more talks with US secretary of state Antony Blinken and that separately he had contacted the UK and other countries with additional requests for weapons.

Kuleba separately welcomed the move by Germany to put the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on hold, tweeting that it was a “morally, politically and practically correct step”.

Human Rights Watch has highlighted Russia’s track record for bombing civilian infrastructure in Syria’s conflict and voiced fear “war crimes strategy” could be repeated in Ukraine if the conflict escalates further, AFP reports.

HRW chief Kenneth Roth warned the region could “be on the verge of a significant armed conflict” and that given Russia’s recent behaviour during Syria’s civil war, that was a deeply worrying prospect.

Speaking to reporters during a video briefing, Roth said the Syrian government and its Russian ally “showed callous disregard” for civilian life in late 2020 as they strived to retake the Idlib province and surrounding areas in northwest Syria.

The nearly year-long Idlib bombing campaign “gives us a sense of the way the Russian military has been fighting recently,” Roth said, adding that Russian bombers were “deliberately attacking civilian institutions to try to make life unlivable and make it easier for the Syrian military to roll in”.

During this time, he said, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin “had command responsibility”, and had given top honours to the “commanders who were overseeing this war crimes strategy”.

Roth said:

We are deeply concerned that this war crimes strategy (could) be replicated in the case of Ukraine should armed conflict break out there.

More from Shaun on that apparent decision from Turkish Airlines …

The White House has begun referring to Russian troop deployments in eastern Ukraine as an “invasion”, AP reports.

Several European leaders said earlier in the day that Russian troops had moved into rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine after Putin recognised their independence – but some indicated it was not yet the long-feared, full-fledged invasion.

The White House, which had been reluctant to use the word “invasion”, signalled a shift in its own position on Tuesday.

“We think this is, yes, the beginning of an invasion, Russia’s latest invasion into Ukraine,” said Jon Finer, principal deputy national security adviser. He said “latest” was important. “An invasion is an invasion and that is what is under way.”

The White House decided to begin referring to Russia’s actions as an “invasion” because of the situation on the ground, according to a US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The administration resisted initially calling the deployment of troops because the White House wanted to see what Russia was actually going to do. After assessing Russian troop movements, it became clear it was a new invasion, the official added.

Jessica Elgot, the Guardian’s chief political correspondent, on the disappointment with which the UK government’s sanctions package has been met.

The UN human rights chief has warned that a military escalation in Ukraine would significantly increase the risk of serious violations, AFP reports.

Michelle Bachelet said in a statement that she was “deeply concerned” following Putin’s decision to recognise the independence of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk separatist republics.

“Any significant escalation in military action creates a heightened risk of serious human rights violations as well as violations of international humanitarian law,” Bachelet said.

The UN high commissioner for human rights stressed that “at this critical juncture, the priority, above all, must be to prevent a further escalation, and to prevent civilian casualties, displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure”.

“I call on all sides to cease hostilities and to pave the way for dialogue instead of setting the stage for further violence,” she added.

The UN rights agency, she said, would “continue to monitor the situation closely from our offices on both sides of the contact line in the east of the country”.