Russian tanks roll through outskirts of Donetsk while Ukraine calls on military reserves

"Tanks and other heavy military machinery roared through the outskirts of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine for a second consecutive night Tuesday while Ukraine’s president called up his military reserves as Europe’s worst crisis in decades appeared to be taking a turn toward all-out war. 

The tanks bore no identifying insignia, but they were first spotted hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two rebel-held enclaves in Ukraine as independent states and dispatched “peacekeeping” troops across his western border late Monday. 

There is no way to determine how many Russian forces have entered eastern Ukraine over the past 24 hours, but some observers fear thousands may already be on Ukrainian soil, ready to carry out a large-scale attack once orders are given. 

In a videotaped address Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his government in Kyiv needed to “quickly add additional staff to the Ukrainian army and other military formations,” though he added that “there is no need for a full mobilization.” NYP