Some 200 Ukrainian soldiers return to Ukraine after crossing into Russia amid shelling http://t.co/S04J3MdvWb
— Kyiv Post (@KyivPost) August 7, 2014
Good morning. We'll start today's live blog with this update from RFE/RL's news desk:
U.S. President Barack Obama says Ukraine does not need additional military assistance to help fight pro-Russian separatists but an invasion by Russia would raise "a different set of questions."
Obama's comments came after NATO said on August 6 that Moscow had increased its forces along the border with eastern Ukraine to some 20,000 troops.
Obama said Ukraine is fighting separatists "who can't match the Ukrainian Army."
Ukrainian officials have urged Washington to provide lethal aid to Kyiv.
NATO said that some Russian military vehicles on the border have been marked as "peacekeeping" or "humanitarian," causing worry Moscow might use a humanitarian pretext to invade.
Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke via phone with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who said Moscow is already involved in the conflict, firing artillery at Ukrainian forces from Russia.
( Reuters, AP)
This ends our live-blogging for August 6. Be sure and check back tomorrow for our continuing coverage.
"The Interpreter" says that Russian military vehicles marked as peacekeepers have been verified as massing on the Ukrainian border:
LATEST on the MH17 investigation from our news desk:
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on August 6 forensic work at the crash site of the Malaysian airliner in eastern Ukraine is being halted due to the worsening security situation in the area.
At a press conference in The Hague, Rutte said international investigators will return to the scene when it is safe.
The investigators from the Netherlands, Australia, and Malaysia are working to recover the remains of all 298 victims from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was brought down in eastern Ukraine.
Western and Ukrainian officials say they have evidence that pro-Russian separatists shot the plane down with a Russian-made Buk antiaircraft missile.
More than 220 coffins have already been returned to the Netherlands. (AP, dpa, ITAR-TASS)
Irakli Kurasbediani, a former head of the Georgian Military Intelligence Service, is currently fighting in eastern Ukraine against pro-Russian separatists. He spoke with RFE/RL's Georgian Service about the situation on the ground:
"A clear picture has emerged in terms of our goals -- now we see the road we need to follow. In other words, we quit our initial battle tactics that used to lead to great numbers of unnecessary deaths. That was the game changer and we clearly gained the momentum. To cut it short, our enemies now clearly see that their attacks will be pernicious. They have been pernicious all along, but now we are able to get over with all of this faster. Now they are on defense, they are hiding behind civilian population, firing at us from population centers, which we are doing our best to avoid at all times. This is the reason why it gets protracted in time."
"[Ukraine] amounts to a lot of open space and long distances. [Pro-Russian separatists] are as a rule hiding in populated areas because in them they are able to stock on groceries and beverages. They need cars, which they snatch from local people, to move around. They also need people to use as human shields and they prevent them from leaving. We try to hold our fire to create a lull in fighting and some sort of safe corridors for local civilians to leave. In essence, civilian population is the only factor behind the lengthy [Ukrainian antiterrorist] operation and difficulties that we face."
"Sure, there are people [in Ukraine's southeast] who believe whatever Moscow is telling them. However, once they see with their own eyes how these guys [pro-Russian separatists] are installing Grad [truck-mounted multiple-rocket-launcher] systems in their backyards, fire a shot or two in our direction and then turn them around to shell the city of Donetsk -- I don't know why, maybe to instigate hatred among locals; I was shocked to see this at first, because I haven't seen anything like this even during Abkhazia and Ossetia wars -- this speaks for itself."
"I do not expect anything more rewarding than our victory. On top of that, there are words I have heard and read on the Internet from Ukrainians themselves -- words of gratitude and hope that they are not alone during this very difficult time for them. I don't need anything else. [Ukrainians] also need support, just like we needed it, although Ukraine is larger than Georgia. One needs to feel supported in times like this."
"There is a good chance of wrapping it all up by winter. I'll tell you something as a former military intelligence officer -- everything depends on what the enemy is up to. Should there be a direct and open aggression with [Russian] military forces rolling in like in Crimea -- although we'll hardly see the Crimean scenario unfolding here -- then we are to face a large-scale battle. This, of course, would extend the whole thing. At the same time it would help drive the last nail into the coffin of Russia's image as the biggest power around -- Russia stands no big chance of achieving a victory."