Explosions heard in Donetsk at night, shells hit several buildings http://t.co/yUL2y8HigU
— Kyiv Post (@KyivPost) August 12, 2014
Interesting evidence of #Russia #GRU #Spetsnaz special forces involvement in E #Ukraine from @FT http://t.co/bZgqNB6SE3
— Mark Galeotti (@MarkGaleotti) August 11, 2014
Obviously, there is still a lot of skepticism in some quarters regarding Russia's humanitarian convoy:
BREAKING #Russia humanitarian aid convoy with supplies for #Donetsk arrives at #Ukraine border BREAKING #Putin #war pic.twitter.com/Tk2gD4GQao
— East of Brussels (@EastOfBrussels) August 11, 2014
While #Russia claims to be sending aid out of humanitarian concern for the people of #Ukraine, its artillery continues to pound the country
— Ukraine Reporter (@StateOfUkraine) August 12, 2014
Here's an MH17 update from RFE/RL's news desk:
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on August 12 that he hopes the international community can bring Russia and Ukraine together to work toward opening a formal investigation into the crash of a Malaysia Airlines plane.
Flight MH17 was shot down on July 17 over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, allegedly by pro-Russian rebels, killing 298 people.
Speaking to reporters in Sydney, Kerry said, "We are pressing for a full investigation -- this type of weapon [used] we have seen on our imagery ... so really it is no mystery where it came from and where these weapons have come from."
He said a full probe was necessary to legitimize "whatever steps we are taking down the track."
Kerry also demanded that those responsible for bringing down the plane be brought to justice.
(Reuters, AFP)
This is how column with humanitarian aid from Russia to E. Ukraine looks like. No number plates, no insignia http://t.co/nqsFZhk2lB
— Yulia Bragina (@YuliaSkyNews) August 12, 2014
Meanwhile apparently somewhere in Russia people burning a cut out of Snickers bar. MT"@monahkz11: pic.twitter.com/5qKgKA3RrW”
— Yulia Bragina (@YuliaSkyNews) August 12, 2014
Intl Red Cross says "extremely concerned" about people in east #Ukraine "thousands...without access to water, electricity and medical aid."
— David M. Herszenhorn (@herszenhorn) August 12, 2014
According to this report tweeted by Interfax-Ukraine, the deputy head of Petro Poroshenko's presidential administration, Valeriy Chaly, says Kyiv expects to ratify its Association Agreement with the EU sometime next month:
Соглашение об ассоциации с ЕС будет ратифицировано в сентябре, убеждены в администрации президента http://t.co/HTHvX7ZY81 #ukraine
— Интерфакс-Украина (@interfaxua) August 12, 2014
Good morning. We'll start the live blog today with this report from our news desk on how aid is apparently now on its way to Luhansk from Russia:
A Russian convoy of up to 280 trucks carrying humanitarian aid has reportedly left for Ukraine.
Russian news agencies are reporting that the convoy set off from the Moscow region early this morning.
The region’s administration is quoted as saying that the aid consists of food, medicine, medical equipment, sleeping bags, and portable power generators.
On August 11, Russia said it was sending a humanitarian convoy into Ukraine with Red Cross supervision and without a Russian military escort.
Ukraine said it had agreed to a humanitarian mission to the separatist stronghold of Luhansk that includes cooperation from the European Union, Germany, Russia, and others, and is led by the Red Cross.
It insisted that any humanitarian mission must be without Russian military escort.
The Red Cross said it was ready to begin aid delivery but needed more details about the aid from Russia.
(ITAR-TASS, Interfax)