Ukraine security council calls for state of emergency

Ukraine’s security council on Wednesday, Feb. 23, approved plans to declare a state of national emergency, in response to the growing threat of a Russian invasion.

The measure, which must be formally approved by parliament, requires stepped-up document and vehicle checks, among other measures, the council’s secretary Oleksiy Danilov said.

Danilov said he would deliver a report to Ukraine’s parliament later on Wednesday, with lawmakers expected to approve the added security measures this week.

They would apply to all parts of Ukraine except for its two Russian-occupied regions, where a deadly “insurgency” that has claimed more than 14,000 lives broke out in 2014.