President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to carry out “peacekeeping functions” on the territory of the breakaway “republics” in eastern Ukraine.

This is stated in the texts of the presidential decrees recognizing the independence of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DNR) and “Luhansk People’s Republic” (LNR), which Putin signed on Monday, February 21. The documents were published on the Russian government’s official legal information portal on Monday evening.

According to the Kremlin’s website, Putin also signed treaties on “friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance,” with the de facto leaders of the DNR and LNR.

Vladimir Putin announced the official recognition of the DNR and LNR following an an extraordinary meeting of the Russian Security Council on Monday. Shortly before the meeting opened, the de facto leaders of the DNR and LNR made official appeals for recognition on Russian state television. The Russian State Duma adopted a resolution calling on Putin to formally recognize the “republics” on February 15.
The Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic declared independence from Ukraine in 2014. Until now, they have only been recognized by South Ossetia — a breakaway state in the South Caucasus. Notably, both “republics” claim territory that is controlled by the Ukrainian government.

Putin orders Russian military to carry out ‘peacekeeping’ in the DNR and LNR