Ukraine declares state of emergency starting midnight

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - Ukraine declared a state of emergency beginning at midnight Wednesday for the entire nations, except the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

The parliament approved the measure that will initially last 30 days, according to media reports.

The measure can be extended up to 60 days if necessary and will vary depending on the situation in the region.

Separatists in the Donbas region claimed two so-called, the “Donetsk People's Republic” and “Luhansk People's Republic,” in a so-called referendum on May 11, 2014.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced that Moscow was recognizing the two eastern Ukrainian breakaway regions as “independent” states, followed quickly by sending forces to “maintain peace.”

The announcements drew widespread global condemnation as violations of the UN Charter and international law, with Western countries announcing new sanctions on Russia.

In 2014, after invading Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, Moscow began to support separatist forces in eastern Ukraine against the central government, a policy that it has maintained for the past seven years. The conflict has taken more than 13,000 lives, according to the UN.

Putin's latest moves follow Russia amassing 100,000 troops and heavy equipment in and around its neighbor, with the US and Western countries accusing it of setting the stage for an invasion.

Russia has denied it is preparing an invasion and instead claims the has West undermined its security through NATO’s expansion toward its borders.