And Ukrainian lawmakers have taken a further step toward punitive measures against Russia, passing unanimously with 65 abstentions the first reading of a bill -- whose outlines were presented last week by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk -- to level sanctions against Russian companies and individuals, agencies report. A final reading is expected tomorrow.
Here's more from our newsroom:
Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has championed the bill, saying that it enables Kyiv to block energy deliveries and air transit through its territory.
Yatsenyuk has threatened to blacklist 172 officials and 65 entities from Russia and other unspecified countries.
However, any sanctions would need approval by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
The European Union has warned that Ukraine should not halt transit flows of Russian gas.
About half of the EU's gas imports from Russia run through Ukraine.
Russian politicians said on August 12 that Moscow would retaliate in response to any sanctions.
Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa
From our newsroom:
Russian investigators have launched a probe into the fate of a Russian journalist who disappeared in eastern Ukraine last week.
Andrei Stenin was working in Ukraine as a photographer for Russia's state-owned media conglomerate Rossiya Segodnya, also known as RT. He has not been heard from since August 5.
Anton Herashchenko, an adviser at Ukraine's Interior Ministry, said Stenin was likely arrested by Ukrainian security services for "aiding and glorifying terrorists."
The International Federation of Journalists and the New-York based Committee to Protect Journalists have voiced concern over Stenin's disappearance.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on August 12 that Stenin "could be a victim of a malicious attack" and demanded that Kyiv "puts in all effort" to find and liberate him.
Based on reporting by AFP and ITAR-TASS
Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov posted a defiant message on Facebook in the past half an hour:
"No Putin 'convoy' will pass through the territory of the Kharkiv region. No cynical provocation by an aggressor is allowed on our territory.
"As far as I'm concerned, Putin can pour these 30 tons of salt as 'humanitarian aid' on his...
Via @ShaunWalker7.
From Reuters:
Twelve Ukrainian nationalist fighters, battling a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine, were killed early on Wednesday and an unknown number taken captive when rebels ambushed their bus, a spokesman for their group said.
The separatists opened fire on the bus, that was taking the men to fight just outside the rebel-held city of Donetsk, at the nearby village of Mandrykino, said a spokesman for Right Sector, extreme nationalists who are supporting government forces.
"They were taking part in a military operation early this morning near Donetsk and were ambushed. Twelve Right Sector fighters were killed," spokesman Artem Skoropadsky told Reuters.
Among the many points Ukrainian military blogger Dmitry Tymchuk makes in his Facebook post this morning is this one, after he quotes a military commander lamenting separatists' attacks on medical vehicles:
What a shame: A country that used to have the most powerful tank-building industry in the U.S.S.R....is unable after half a year of hostilities to arrange the production of common gun trucks, i.e. armored cargo trucks!