From our news desk:
Crimean officials have asked Moscow for an exception to Russian sanctions blocking food imports from Ukraine.
Crimean Agriculture Minister Nikolai Polyushkin said on August 15 that The request was given to Russian ministers who came to Crimea for government meetings the previous day.
He said the Crimean government requested that the peninsula be excluded from the food sanctions Russia introduced against Ukraine in particular.
Polyushkin said Crimea and Ukraine are like "Siamese twins" and the peninsula is dependent on Ukraine, especially regarding dairy products, but also needed potatoes, beef, tomatoes, and corn from Ukraine.
He said Crimean authorities expect a decision on the exemptions next week.
Russia imposed a ban on the import of most food products from the EU, Canada, Australia, Norway, and United States in retaliation for Western sanctions over Moscow's actions in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. (ITAR-TASS, AFP)
This ends our live-blogging for August 15. Be sure and check back tomorrow for our ongoing coverage of events in Ukraine.