Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymr Zelenskyy, are putting up "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.
The attack began Feb. 24 as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation."
Russians moving from Belarus towards Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, don't appear to have advanced closer towards the city since coming within about 20 miles, although smaller advanced groups have been fighting gun battles with Ukrainian forces inside the capital since at least Friday.
Russia has been met by sanctions from the U.S., Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting Russia's economy and Putin himself.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 16, 2022, 7:48 AM EST
Kremlin criticizes 'Western hysteria' around possible invasion
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that while he expects the "hysteria" in Western media outlets about the threat of a Russian invasion to continue, he hopes foreign journalists will ultimately admit that they were wrong.
During a daily call with reporters, Peskov was asked whether Western media reports that Russia would attack Ukraine on Wednesday could be described as the culmination of "information hysteria."
"Frankly, the way the Western hysteria is developing indicates there is still a long way until culmination. There won't be a remission any time soon, we should be patient," Peskov said. "Still, it is very important that Western media outlets, in this case, the British ones, say at least at the end of every day that their predictions have been wrong."
-ABC News' Anastasia Bagaeva
Feb 16, 2022, 6:55 AM EST
Russia says some troops returning to base after loading up tanks
The Russian Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that troops from its Western Military District massed near Ukraine have completed loading their tanks and are now returning to their bases, some 1,000 kilometers (over 620 miles) away.
"Personnel of the units of the Western Military District's tank army have finished loading their tanks and tracked armored hardware onto flatbed railcars and have embarked on a 1,000-kilometer march using various means of transportation back to their permanent bases upon completion of their routine drills," the defense ministry said in a statement.
In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Feb. 16, 2022, Russian army tanks are loaded onto railway platforms to move back to their permanent base after drills in Russia.
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP
Russia has currently deployed forces from all of its military districts near Ukraine. The Russian military has said that the Western and Southern Military Districts are returning to their bases. Meanwhile, units from Russia's Eastern Military District remain in Belarus, having traveled some 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles) there.
-ABC News' Patrick Reevell
Feb 16, 2022, 6:33 AM EST
NATO: 'Russia continues their military build-up'
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Wednesday that Russia has still shown no signs of de-escalation on the ground, despite claims of withdrawing troops from near Ukraine.
"We have heard the signs from Moscow about the readiness to continue diplomatic efforts, but so far we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground," Stoltenberg said during a press conference outside NATO headquarters in Brussels. "On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues their military build-up."
NATO continues to monitor the situation "very closely," as it remains unclear whether Russia is pulling back, according to Stoltenberg.
"What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way," he told reporters. "So, so far, no de-escalation but of course, we hear also the message about diplomacy and we are ready to engage in diplomatic efforts with Russia."
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference prior to a meeting of NATO defense ministers on the current Russia-West tensions at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Feb. 16, 2022.
Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images
Stoltenberg explained that the Russian military has "always moved forces back and forth."
"So, just that we see movement of forces of battle tanks doesn't confirm a real withdrawal," he said. "It has been a big up and down, back and forth, all the way, but the trend over the last weeks and months has been a steady increase in the Russian capabilities close to Ukraine's borders. So Russia retains the capability of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine without any warning time."
As of Wednesday morning, there were still approximately 100,000 Russian troops at Ukraine's borders, including in Belarus, according to Stoltenberg, who said he hopes the dialogue with Russia will continue and that the claims of withdrawal are true "because nobody has any interest in confrontation or war in Europe."
"We are at a pivotal moment in the history of Ukraine, Europe and global stability," he added. "We look forward to seeing evidence of the withdrawal of troops on Russia's part, but we need to prepare for any eventuality, with that significant escalation of Russian troops that we have seen over the last weeks and months."
Stoltenberg's comments came ahead of a meeting of the military alliance's defense ministers, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, to discuss the current crisis.
Feb 16, 2022, 5:36 AM EST
Russia releases video showing more troops leaving Crimea
The Russian military released more videos on Wednesday morning purportedly showing troops pulling back from Moscow-annexed Crimea.
The footage aired on Russian state media, with one video showing a trainload of armour being carried across the Russian-built bridge that connects the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula to Russia's mainland. Another video shows military trucks driving out of Crimea across the bridge, which Russian state media described as support troops leaving "exercises."
This handout video grab released by the Russian Ministry of Defense on Feb. 16, 2022, shows armoured personnel vehicles and tanks crossing a bridge linking the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula to Russia's mainland.
Handout/Russian Ministry of Defense/AFP via Getty Images
However, officials in the West and regional analysts continue to caution that they have not yet seen significant movements of Russian troops pulling back from near Ukraine's borders.
Meanwhile, massive military exercises continue in neighboring Belarus and are not due to finish until Sunday. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said Wednesday that "not a single" Russian soldier will remain in the country once those drills end.
