Here's today's map of the military situation in eastern Ukraine, commissioned by the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council's information-analytical center:
Pro-Kyiv military blogger Dmitry Tymchuk says today that "the threat of invasion by Russia under the guise of a 'peacekeeping' action or operation remains." He goes on to point out that there is no international mandate of any sort for such an operation.
He also quotes the Kyiv head of the ICRC as saying that organization was "stepping up its activities to assist the affected population [in eastern Ukraine] in the deteriorating humanitarian situation and security situation." But having noted the abortive "humanitarian" convoy from Russia overnight, Tymchuk suggests Moscow was trying to use the ICRC as a fig leaf and says the ICRC would not have launched a humanitarian mission "in defiance of the [UN] Security Council."
The last of the barricades are gone from Independence Square following the morning operation to remove the Euromaidan hindrances from downtown Kyiv. Mayor Klitschko reportedly struck a deal with those who were refusing to leave that some tents might remain, so long as they did not block public access to the site.
Kommersant radio quotes the Russian Sports Ministry as suggesting a major football and athletic training facility might be built in Crimea, which the country annexed from Ukraine in March.
Ukraine says it has prevented a Russian attempt to send troops across the border under the guise of a humanitarian mission, AFP and UNIAN report.
Recall that yesterday the U.S. Ambassador to the UN warned that "any further unilateral intervention by Russia into Ukrainian territory...would be viewed as an invasion of Ukraine."
The British foreign secretary Philip Hammond "strongly" urged Russia to avoid any "provocative actions."
Valeriy Chaliy, deputy head of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's office, said late last night: "A huge convoy moved towards the Ukrainian border, accompanied by Russian troops and military hardware."
Chaliy said the move was averted through diplomatic channels, without going into details.
He added that the Red Cross denied that Russia had coordinated this alleged humanitarian column with them.