Russia President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops into eastern Ukraine as part of a ‘peacekeeping mission’.

It comes after he recognised two separatist territories, Donetsk and Luhansk, as independent states.

It’s not clear whether Russian troops will remain only in the eastern regions, or whether they’ll seek to capture the rest of the two regions.

The US and UK earlier claimed Mr Putin’s decision to recognise the regions was a breach of international law.

There are already approximately 190,000 Russian troops along the Ukrainian border.

“He now says he’s dispatching peacekeeping troops to two autonomous regions … this feels like the start of the invasion,” Gareth Parker told 6PR Breakfast listeners.

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