Turkish Foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated that Turkey would block some Russian warships from crossing the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles straits. The international community called Turkey to block the Straits several times, but Turkey did not answer such calls.
Russia has launched a military operation on neighbouring Ukraine while President Vladimir Putin said in a pre-dawn TV statement Russia does not plan to occupy Ukraine and demanded the Ukrainian military to lay down their arms.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia recognised the independence of two Moscow-backed breakaway enclaves there that call themselves the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic. Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan stated that they would not recognise the decision.
The U.S. Air Force's strategic unmanned aerial vehicle RQ-4 Global Hawk patrolled the Ukrainian border over Donbas and Crimea. In addition, U.S. surveillance aircraft monitored regions of naval drills restricted by Russia in the Black Sea.
Stoltenberg said Tuesday NATO has not seen “any de-escalation on the ground” from Russian forces near Ukraine, despite earlier claims from Moscow.
Russia’s defence ministry says some troops positioned on the border with Ukraine are returning to their bases after completing drills.
The U.S. wants to end the Russian–Ukrainian crisis so that it can permanently enter the Black Sea.
Russian S-400 battalion deployed in Belarus amid tensions. Eastern Military District's Air Force enhances defence capacities.
While the tension between Ukraine and Russia rises, Turkey is volunteered to be a mediator between two northern neighbours.
According to the British daily The Guardian, Cyberactivists opposing Belarus' president, Alexander Lukashenko, claim to have breached the state-run railway's computer system and threatened to halt trains transporting Russian troops and weaponry to the nation preparation for an assault on Ukraine.
Bulgaria is considering acquiring submarines due to the Russia- Ukraine tension.
The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group participated in a NATO exercise in the Mediterranean Sea that started on Monday.
According to Maroc-hebdo, Morocco is negotiating with Turkey to acquire seven Kılıç II Class Fast Attack Crafts (FAC) and one Ada Class corvette for ASW.
Bulgaria’s re-elected President Rumen Radev said, “Crimea is Russian for the time being”. Shortly after Radev’s victory at the presidential election, the U.S. voiced its “deep concern” on Monday. Radev commented on a televised debate last week.
