20:04
13.6.2014
Suspect tanks (and rocket launchers) in east #Ukraine came from #Russia, says @marieharf. says move "unacceptable" & warns of new sanctions.
— Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) June 13, 2014
20:07
13.6.2014
I spoke on the phone with President #Putin about the situation in #Ukraine, details of the call are available here http://t.co/bwsWEs2R54
— José Manuel Barroso (@BarrosoEU) June 13, 2014
20:09
13.6.2014
StateDep on reports of #Ukraine forces use of white phosphorus: "we don't have evidence it’s credible 2 back it up"
— Natasha Mozgovaya (@mozgovaya) June 13, 2014
20:13
13.6.2014
RFE/RL's news desk has this update from Washington:
A top U.S. Senator has written to President Barack Obama urging additional sanctions against Russia following reports of Russian tanks crossing into Ukraine.
Robert Menendez (Democrat-New Jersey), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, encouraged the administration to exercise existing authority to "more aggressively implement" an executive order imposing sanctions.
The Democratic senator said that, while he recognized the importance of acting with Europe, the administration "should not hesitate to act unilaterally to support an independent Ukraine."
Republicans in the U.S. Senate have introduced their own bill introducing harsher sanctions against Russia, but it has failed to gain any Democratic co-sponsors.
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of sending in armored vehicles across the border in recent days.
Robert Menendez (Democrat-New Jersey), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, encouraged the administration to exercise existing authority to "more aggressively implement" an executive order imposing sanctions.
The Democratic senator said that, while he recognized the importance of acting with Europe, the administration "should not hesitate to act unilaterally to support an independent Ukraine."
Republicans in the U.S. Senate have introduced their own bill introducing harsher sanctions against Russia, but it has failed to gain any Democratic co-sponsors.
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of sending in armored vehicles across the border in recent days.
23:04
13.6.2014
We are now closing the live blog for today. We'll leave you with one more update from our news desk. Don't forget that you can keep up with all our ongoing Ukraine coverage here.
Washington says Russia has sent military equipment to rebels in eastern Ukraine, confirming earlier reports of tanks crossing the border.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf says: "We assess that separatists in eastern Ukraine have acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers."
She said a convoy of three T-64 tanks, several MB-21, “or Grad” multiple rocket launchers, and other military vehicles had crossed from Russia into eastern Ukraine in the last three days.
Harf said: "Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area. We are confident that these tanks came from Russia."
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said earlier on today that if the reported deployment was confirmed, it would mark a “serious escalation” of the crisis.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf says: "We assess that separatists in eastern Ukraine have acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers."
She said a convoy of three T-64 tanks, several MB-21, “or Grad” multiple rocket launchers, and other military vehicles had crossed from Russia into eastern Ukraine in the last three days.
Harf said: "Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area. We are confident that these tanks came from Russia."
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said earlier on today that if the reported deployment was confirmed, it would mark a “serious escalation” of the crisis.
07:13
14.6.2014
Our newsroom's summary of the latest events in Ukraine, led, obviously, by the shootdown that could significantly alter the conflict:
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry says says 49 Ukrainian soldiers were killed when pro-Russian separatist fighters in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk region shot down an army transport plane using antiaircraft weapons and heavy machine guns.
The ministry said early on June 14 that the IL-76 transport plane was shot down while attempting to land at the Luhansk airport overnight.
The attack came just hours after Washington said it could confirm Kyiv’s claims that Russia has been sending heavy military equipment to pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine – including tanks and rocket launchers.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf says: "We assess that separatists in eastern Ukraine have acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers."
She said a convoy of three T-64 tanks, several MB-21, “or Grad” multiple rocket launchers, and other military vehicles had crossed from Russia into eastern Ukraine “near the Ukrainian town of Snizhne” during the last three days -- moving through several towns, including Snizhne, Torez, and Makiyivka.
Harf said: "Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area. We are confident that these tanks came from Russia."
She also said Washington has "information that Russia has accumulated multiple rocket launchers at this same deployment site in southwest Russia, and these rocket launchers also recently departed"
She said internet video has shown what Washington believes to be "these same rocket launchers traveling through Luhansk."
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said earlier on June 13 that if the reported deployment was confirmed, it would mark a “serious escalation” of the crisis.
He urged Russia “to complete the withdrawal of its military forces on the border with Ukraine, to stop the flow of weapons and fighters across the border, and to exercise its influence among armed separatist to lay down their weapons and renounce violence.”
Rasmussen's remarks came after Kyiv accused Russia of allowing pro-Russian separatists who are fighting Ukrainian government forces to transport three tanks and other military vehicles across the border into eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko told Russian President Vladimir Putin in their first official telephone conversation on June 12 that the situation was "unacceptable."
Denis Pushilin, a pro-Russia separatist leader in Donetsk, told Russian state television on June 13 that separatist had obtained tanks but it was “improper to ask” where they had gotten them.
Pushilin said the tanks were “in Donetsk and are the minimum that we have to defend the city.”
The developments come as the Ukrainian government continues a military operation to reclaim territory from pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on June 13 that government troops had regained control from separatists of the southeastern port city of Mariupol.
Avakov said government forces also won back control of a 120-kilometer stretch of the border with Russia that had fallen to the rebels.
Meanwhile, Putin's spokesman said the Russian president has ordered Russia's Foreign Ministry to issue a formal complaint with Kyiv after a Ukrainian armored vehicle was found on Russian territory, close to the border with Ukraine's Luhansk region.
Russian border guards said the Ukrainian armored personnel carrier was found about 150 meters within Russian territory.
The ministry said early on June 14 that the IL-76 transport plane was shot down while attempting to land at the Luhansk airport overnight.
The attack came just hours after Washington said it could confirm Kyiv’s claims that Russia has been sending heavy military equipment to pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine – including tanks and rocket launchers.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf says: "We assess that separatists in eastern Ukraine have acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers."
She said a convoy of three T-64 tanks, several MB-21, “or Grad” multiple rocket launchers, and other military vehicles had crossed from Russia into eastern Ukraine “near the Ukrainian town of Snizhne” during the last three days -- moving through several towns, including Snizhne, Torez, and Makiyivka.
Harf said: "Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area. We are confident that these tanks came from Russia."
She also said Washington has "information that Russia has accumulated multiple rocket launchers at this same deployment site in southwest Russia, and these rocket launchers also recently departed"
She said internet video has shown what Washington believes to be "these same rocket launchers traveling through Luhansk."
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said earlier on June 13 that if the reported deployment was confirmed, it would mark a “serious escalation” of the crisis.
He urged Russia “to complete the withdrawal of its military forces on the border with Ukraine, to stop the flow of weapons and fighters across the border, and to exercise its influence among armed separatist to lay down their weapons and renounce violence.”
Rasmussen's remarks came after Kyiv accused Russia of allowing pro-Russian separatists who are fighting Ukrainian government forces to transport three tanks and other military vehicles across the border into eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko told Russian President Vladimir Putin in their first official telephone conversation on June 12 that the situation was "unacceptable."
Denis Pushilin, a pro-Russia separatist leader in Donetsk, told Russian state television on June 13 that separatist had obtained tanks but it was “improper to ask” where they had gotten them.
Pushilin said the tanks were “in Donetsk and are the minimum that we have to defend the city.”
The developments come as the Ukrainian government continues a military operation to reclaim territory from pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on June 13 that government troops had regained control from separatists of the southeastern port city of Mariupol.
Avakov said government forces also won back control of a 120-kilometer stretch of the border with Russia that had fallen to the rebels.
Meanwhile, Putin's spokesman said the Russian president has ordered Russia's Foreign Ministry to issue a formal complaint with Kyiv after a Ukrainian armored vehicle was found on Russian territory, close to the border with Ukraine's Luhansk region.
Russian border guards said the Ukrainian armored personnel carrier was found about 150 meters within Russian territory.
07:33
14.6.2014
Our Ukrainian Service report on the accussation from the Russian Foreign Ministry of Ukrainian "provocations" that Moscow says include illegally crossing the border into the Rostov region (in Ukrainian):
Here was one of Moscow's accusations via Twitter and ITAR-TASS:
Here was one of Moscow's accusations via Twitter and ITAR-TASS:
07:34
14.6.2014
07:57
14.6.2014
08:05
14.6.2014
Surveillance video that appears to show the surface-to-air missile launched at the army transport plane in Luhansk last night, followed by illumination from the blasts when the IL-76 with at least 49 troops aboard crashed into the ground.