Kyiv/Donetsk: On Feb 23, Ukraine declared a state of emergency and told its citizens in Russia to flee. On the other hand, Moscow evacuated its Kyiv embassy in the latest ominous signs for Ukrainians who fear an all-out Russian military attack. Shelling intensified at the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, where Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of two Moscow-backed rebel regions this week and has ordered the deployment of Russian troops as “peacekeepers”.
