Ukraine to impose a state of emergency and calls up reserve troops

Ukraine's top security official Oleksiy Danilov said, on Wednesday, Ukraine would impose a state of emergency on all of its territories, apart from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions where it has been in place since 2014.

Danilov said that the emergency state would last 30 days and could be extended for another 30 days.

Ukraine was preparing to impose a nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday and told its citizens to leave Russia, amid growing signs that it was veering closer to a full-blown war with its northern neighbour.

Kyiv’s move to introduce emergency rule came as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky called up the reserve troops and his administration pleaded with the west to hit Russia with even tougher sanctions.

Pro-Russian separatists have controlled parts of Donetsk and Luhansk since 2014.

Russia recognized them as independent states on Monday and approved use of its troops abroad.

Danilov also said that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had not discussed the development of nuclear weapons, something Vladimir Putin has said posed a strategic threat for Russia.