Russian Troops Advance

<p><i>This episode contains strong language.</i></p><p>On Monday night, as tensions deepened between Russia and Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin sent troops into two regions in eastern Ukraine where separatist forces are friendly to Moscow.</p><p>With dispatches from our reporters on the ground, we analyze why the crisis has deteriorated in the past few days and whether the orders are a precursor to a wider war.</p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/valerie-hopkins?smid=pc-thedaily">Valerie Hopkins</a>, a correspondent based in Moscow for The New York Times.</p><p>Have you lost a loved one during the pandemic? The Daily is working on a special episode memorializing those we have lost to the coronavirus. If you would like to share their name on the episode, please RECORD A VOICE MEMO and send it to us at <a href="mailto:thedaily@nytimes.com">thedaily@nytimes.com</a>. You can find more information and<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/03/podcasts/daily-memorial-covid.html"> specific instructions here</a>.</p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>The moves by Mr. Putin were<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/21/world/europe/putin-ukraine-russia.html"> his most blatant yet in a confrontation with the West</a> that threatens to escalate into the biggest military action in Europe since World War II.</li><li>In a speech to Russians on Monday, Mr. Putin buoyed his case for the invasion of rebel territories by arguing that<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/21/world/europe/ukraine-history-russia.html"> the idea of Ukraine statehood was a fiction</a>.</li><li>Here’s what to know about<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/ukraine-russia-putin.html"> the Russia-Ukraine crisis</a>.</li></ul><p>Want more from The Daily? For one big idea on the news each week from our team, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-daily?module=inline">subscribe to our newsletter</a>. </p><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily">nytimes.com/the