07:52
18.6.2014
Russian Railways invites you to go to Crimea! But its trains can only take you as far as Krasnodar or Anapa: pic.twitter.com/T6cNKJkxr1
— Howard Amos (@howardamos) June 18, 2014
08:17
18.6.2014
Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev's son, Khaiser, is still awaiting arms-trafficking charges in Crimea. his father has told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that he feels his son is being "held hostage." You can read the entire article in Ukrainian here.
08:28
18.6.2014
Following the deaths of two Russian journalists yesterday in the Luhansk region, the Kremlin-funded RT network has issued this video in which Moscow's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin says conditions for journalists in eastern Ukraine are now worse than in Iraq:
08:33
18.6.2014
#Poroshenko: '#Ukraine is in a state of war. This is a new type of warfare–with use of professional subversive groups, mercenaries.'
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) June 18, 2014
08:34
18.6.2014
Ukraine president Poroshenko offers unilateral cease-fire http://t.co/fAlZYefxKe
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) June 18, 2014
08:36
18.6.2014
Here's a potentially important development reported by our news desk:
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has announced plans for a unilateral cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, where government forces are fighting pro-Russian separatists.
Poroshenko told reporters in Kyiv on June 18 that he would soon order a "very brief" unilateral cease-fire as part of a broader plan to end the 10-week-long separatist insurgency.
The Kremlin earlier said that Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a possible ceasefire in eastern Ukraine in a telephone conversation on June 17.
They also discussed the deaths of two Russian journalists earlier on June 17 in the east of the country.
Meanwhile, Russian investigators said they had opened a criminal probe against the Ukrainian interior minister, Arsen Avakov, and the governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, billionaire Ihor Kolomoyskiy, accusing them of being behind the killings of peaceful civilians and journalists in the east.
Poroshenko told reporters in Kyiv on June 18 that he would soon order a "very brief" unilateral cease-fire as part of a broader plan to end the 10-week-long separatist insurgency.
The Kremlin earlier said that Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a possible ceasefire in eastern Ukraine in a telephone conversation on June 17.
They also discussed the deaths of two Russian journalists earlier on June 17 in the east of the country.
Meanwhile, Russian investigators said they had opened a criminal probe against the Ukrainian interior minister, Arsen Avakov, and the governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, billionaire Ihor Kolomoyskiy, accusing them of being behind the killings of peaceful civilians and journalists in the east.
08:43
18.6.2014
Russia brings criminal charges against Avakov, Kolomoisky http://t.co/HOOVToadj5 pic.twitter.com/fmyHm8lKSO
— Kyiv Post (@KyivPost) June 18, 2014
09:03
18.6.2014
RFE/RL's news desk has some more info regarding the pipeline blast that occurred yesterday:
The Ukrainian interior minister says an explosion at one of Ukraine's gas pipelines was caused by a bomb.
Arsen Avakov made the announcement at a government meeting today, a day after an explosion hit a pipeline carrying Russian gas to the rest of Europe.
The blast caused no casualties and gas flows were not interrupted.
Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said the explosion was aimed at undermining "Ukraine's reputation as a reliable transit partner," and ordered security to be reinforced on the country's gas pipeline installations to prevent sabotage.
In Moscow, Gazprom predicted more "accidents" on Ukraine's gas transportation system, saying not enough is being spent on maintenance.
The explosion came after Moscow cut supplies to Kyiv in a long-standing pricing row and amid an uprising by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s east.
Arsen Avakov made the announcement at a government meeting today, a day after an explosion hit a pipeline carrying Russian gas to the rest of Europe.
The blast caused no casualties and gas flows were not interrupted.
Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said the explosion was aimed at undermining "Ukraine's reputation as a reliable transit partner," and ordered security to be reinforced on the country's gas pipeline installations to prevent sabotage.
In Moscow, Gazprom predicted more "accidents" on Ukraine's gas transportation system, saying not enough is being spent on maintenance.
The explosion came after Moscow cut supplies to Kyiv in a long-standing pricing row and amid an uprising by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s east.
09:10
18.6.2014
. @PaulGoble1 on Russia's agitation in Ukraine's western Transcarpathia region. "a core part of Putin's agenda" http://t.co/FXIK3DX15N
— Robert Coalson (@CoalsonR) June 18, 2014
09:21
18.6.2014
Interesting comparison here between Ukraine and Ireland, Donbas and Northern Ireland. http://t.co/kbm6YvRSC8
— Paul Sonne (@PaulSonne) June 18, 2014