Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly ordered troops into eastern Ukraine for a "peacekeeping" operation, escalating the situation.

According to Reuters and other media, Putin issued the order on Monday after he formally recognized the independence of two Moscow-backed breakaway regions in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Putin reportedly signed a presidential decree mandating a "peacekeeping" operation in Donetsk and Luhansk, two separatist territories loyal to Moscow.

The Associated Press, however, said that it is uncertain whether Russian troops would actually enter the two regions.

The New York Times also said that it was not certain whether the Russian troops would remain only in the territory controlled by the separatist republics, or whether they would seek to capture the entirety of the two regions.

It added that at this juncture, it was unclear whether this was the start of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.