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Ukrainian rebels' request for military assistance from Moscow represents an “additional step against” the country's sovereignty, the EU said on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the Kremlin said the heads of the separatist republics had requested “help” to “repel Ukraine's aggression”, a move that opens the door for massed Russian troops to move in.
“The EU strongly urges Russia to refrain from any further escalatory actions,” said Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign affairs chief.
The rebels had written letters to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Their appeals came after Mr Putin recognised the separatist regions' independence and signed friendship treaties that included defence deals.
Washington and Britain say Russia is poised to strike Ukraine and trigger the most serious war in Europe for decades, but Mr Putin says he is open to negotiation – within limits.
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Firefighters arrive at a military building in Kiev that was damaged in an explosion. EPA -
A man looks at the debris of an unidentified object in the aftermath of an explosion in Kiev. EPA -
Black smoke rises from a military airport in Chuguyev near Kharkiv. AFP -
People take shelter in a Kiev subway station, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a military operation in eastern Ukraine. Reuters -
A Kiev underground train station provides some shelter. Reuters -
Clear airspace over Ukraine, shortly after the attack began, as shown on the Flightradar24 website. AP -
Kiev residents leave the city following pre-offensive missile strikes by the Russian armed forces and Belarus. Getty -
Russian President Vladimir Putin justified the attack in a televised address, saying it was to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine. AP -
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the nation in Kiev. He has declared martial law, saying Russia has targeted Ukraine's military infrastructure. AP -
Firefighters extinguish a blaze at a house in Muratovo, in Ukraine's Luhansk enclave. AFP -
The house is said to have been hit during shelling by Russian-backed separatists. AFP -
The coffin of Capt Anton Sidorov is carried by members of the honour guard during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence in Kiev, Ukraine. Getty -
A picture memorial for those killed in the confrontation between Ukraine's military and pro-Russia separatist forces, in the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine. AP -
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Russia's Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, attend a Security Council meeting in New York to discuss the crisis in Ukraine. Reuters -
Ukraine's UN ambassador Sergey Kyslytsya speaks during an emergency meeting of the Security Council. AP -
US Army soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division head towards an air base near Arlamow, Poland. Reuters -
An employee works at the gun counter of a tactical equipment shop in Kiev, Ukraine. Getty -
A Ukrainian soldier speaks on a walkie-talkie at his position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Svitlodarsk, eastern Ukraine. AP -
A man removes his belongings from his house after it was struck by artillery shells in Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine. AP -
A damaged house in Vibrovka village. EPA -
A man shows a poster in support of Ukraine as he protests against the escalation of the tension between Russia and Ukraine, in Berlin. AP -
Soldiers carry the coffin of Capt Anton Sydorov, 35, after he was killed in eastern Ukraine. AP -
Workers look into a destroyed house after shelling near the city of Novoluhanske in Donetsk. Reuters -
Destroyed buildings in Krasnogorivka, Ukraine. AFP -
Smoke rises from a power plant after shelling outside the town of Schastia, a day after Moscow recognised two Ukrainian separatist republics and ordered the Russian Army to send in troops as ‘peacekeepers’. AFP -
A Ukrainian Army soldier trudges through the wintry streets of Schastia on patrol. AFP -
Three women run for cover during shelling in Schastia, eastern Ukraine. AFP -
Russian tanks and armoured vehicles on the road in Rostov. EPA -
A woman shares food with dogs in Stanytsia Luhanska, a crossing point between Ukrainian government-controlled areas and pro-Russian separatists' territory. AP -
People wave Russian flags in Donetsk, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, in eastern Ukraine. AP -
A tank drives along a street in the city of Donetsk. Reuters -
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the nation on TV and says 'we are not afraid' after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Donetsk and Luhansk, two Moscow-backed rebel regions of Ukraine. AFP -
A military truck in Donetsk after Mr Putin ordered the deployment of Russian troops to the city. Reuters -
Russian state television showed Mr Putin signing a decree recognising the independence of the two Ukrainian breakaway regions. Reuters -
US President Joe Biden signs an executive order at the White House to prohibit trade and investment between US individuals and the two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine. Reuters -
Mr Putin signs documents, including the decree recognising two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. Reuters -
Ukraine ambassador to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya, addresses an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation between Ukraine and Russia in New York. EPA
EU leaders are due to meet on Thursday evening in Brussels for a summit to discuss the “latest developments” following Moscow's recognition of the separatist Ukrainian regions and the bloc's adoption of economic sanctions.
The meeting will also discuss ways to “hold Russia accountable” and support Ukraine.
