The Ukraine-Russia crisis explained: a complete visual guide

Vladimir Putin has said Russia will recognise the territorial claims of its two proxy states in east Ukraine, and has ordered his forces into Russian-controlled territory, in a sharp escalation of already high tensions.

The move follows days of warnings by the US and others of the possibility of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On 22 February a Reuters witness saw columns of military vehicles including tanks and APCs on the outskirts of Donetsk, the capital of one of the territories claimed by Russia:

Over the past few months Russia has forward-deployed hundreds of tanks, self-propelled artillery and even short-range ballistic missiles from as far away as Siberia to within striking range of Ukraine.

The second half of February was long seen as the most likely period for a potential offensive. Russian soldiers have stayed on in Belarus beyond the end of planned military exercises, and the Winter Olympics, hosted by ally China, have concluded.

Many of the heavy weapons stationed near Ukraine arrived as far back as spring 2021.

Over the new year Russia also began to move tanks, artillery, air-defence systems and fighter jets to Belarus for joint exercises in February. That deployment has since grown.

Nato has warned that Russian forces in Belarus could reach 30,000, including Speznaz special operations forces, SU-35 fighter jets, S-400 air defence systems and Iskander missiles, which can carry nuclear weapons, and have a range of 500km.

These satellite image composites show the buildup of troops in Yelnya and Pogonovo over the new year:

Satellite photographs also show increased deployments in Novoozernoye in western Crimea.

The US estimates 10,000 troops moved into Crimea in late January and early February. This image from 18 February shows deployments including armour, helicopters and field hospitals in Novoozernoye:

Satellite images taken on 20 February showed troops and equipment being moved from holding areas to what the UK defence secretary described as potential launch locations.

This runs counter to the thinking in Ukraine as of late January that a focused attack in the east was the most likely scenario. On 21 January Ukrainian military intelligence said that since the beginning of the month Moscow had supplied separatists in eastern Ukraine with additional tanks, self-propelled artillery, mortars and more than 7,000 tons of fuel.

A map released by Ukrainian military intelligence in November showed a worst-case scenario: Russian forces crossing the Ukrainian border from the east and attacking from annexed Crimea, as well as launching an amphibious assault on Odessa with support from Russian soldiers in Transnistria and troops sent in from Belarus.

A 2015 peace deal established a line of demarcation and called on both sides to make concessions. Since then low-level fighting has continued along the front, and both sides have accused the other of violating the agreement.