The Federation Council, Russia's upper body of parliament, unanimously approved President Vladimir Putin's use of Russian armed forces in Ukraine on Tuesday.
Putin had sought the council for permission to use the military abroad, specifically in the breakaway territories of Ukraine's Donbas region, which Russia acknowledged as "autonomous" on Monday.
Deputy Defense Minister Nikolay Pavlov made it plain to the chamber that approval is required to establish what Russia refers to as "peacekeeping missions" in the separatist-held territories of Donetsk and Luhansk in Donbas. The authorization was approved unanimously by the council.
Following a speech late Monday in which he stated that Russia would recognise the breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, Putin announced that Russia would send troops to those areas to "maintain peace."
The pronouncements were widely condemned around the world as violations of the United Nations Charter and international law, with Western countries pledging to retaliate with further penalties.
Following its invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, Moscow began supporting separatist forces in eastern Ukraine in their fight against the central government, a tactic it has continued for the following seven years. According to the United Nations, more than 13,000 people have died as a result of the violence.
The Russian president's latest steps come after Russia amassed 100,000 troops and heavy equipment in and surrounding its neighbour, prompting accusations from the US and Western countries that it was preparing for an invasion.
Russia has denied that it is planning an invasion and instead maintains that NATO's development along its borders has harmed its security.
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