Residents in the area told to evacuate immediately
The regional governor of Luhansk in Ukraine says Russian forces are attacking "on all sides".
It comes after the Ukrainian president claimed Moscow's forces have begun the battle on Donbas.
The east Ukrainian region is home to a large Russian-speaking population, and has been partly controlled by pro-Kremlin separatists since 2014.
Independent journalist Olga Tokariuk says local residents in Luhansk were told to evacuate immediately, or risk their losing their lives:
A meeting of the UN Security Council is taking place in New York this evening.
The Foreign Affairs Minister says the "madness" in eastern Europe can stop today, if Russia commits to a ceasefire.
Speaking ahead of the event, Simon Coveney said he will use the speech to focus on the plight of refugees fleeing the invasion, after visiting the besieged suburb of Bucha last week.
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