The Security Service of Ukraine reports that border guards on July 2 detained Valery Popov, the ataman of the Siberian Cossack Battalion, who was attempting to enter Ukraine to support pro-Russian separatists. The SBU press service said Popov had earlier announced to Russian journalists that his battalion was going to Donetsk and Slavyansk to fight against Ukrainian authorities, and had called on those "specializing in armored vehicles" to join his ranks.
The SBU says it is now investigating whether Popov had been in Ukraine before and what activities he was involved in. "We known that [Popov's] colleague, Nikolai Kozitsyn, who presents himself as the general of the Cossack army, used OSCE monitors as human shields, mined roads and bridges, attacked Ukrainian border guards, enabled weapons transfers to the Donbas, and committed crimes against the civilian population," the SBU said.
Photos of the Cossack ataman reportedly detained at the Ukraine border on July 2.
"We deplore the incident in which two Russian journalists were injured on Tuesday, only a few days after the death of Russian journalist Anatoly Klyan, which demonstrates the gravity of the situation in Eastern Ukraine. Another example is the recent illegal detention of two Ukrainian journalists for two days by pro-Russian separatists in the Luhansk region."
Lovely, melancholy look at rural life in Ukraine's Sumy villages bordering Russia.
Made by Ukrainian filmmaker Maria Shcherbak and shared with RFE's Ukrainian Service.
Meanwhile, in Moldova....
-- Russia and Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester say they have signed a series of agreements to minimize the impact of Chisinau's new ties with the European Union.
On July 3, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and Transdniester leader Yevgeny Shevchuk oversaw the signing of agreements covering economics, trade, transport, agriculture, and science.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said fostering closer cooperation was especially important due to "regional and economic conditions becoming more complicated."
Shevchuk said Moldova's increased ties with the EU would bring more disadvantages than advantages.
Meanwhile, Russia’s agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor announced it will restrict meat imports from Moldova from July 5 over "violations of veterinary-sanitary demands and norms" -- a move the EU said looked like retaliation.
Moldova's parliament ratified the country's Association Agreement with the EU on July 2 despite Moscow's objections.
Meanwhile, in Moldova....
-- Russia and Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester say they have signed a series of agreements to minimize the impact of Chisinau's new ties with the European Union.
On July 3, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and Transdniester leader Yevgeny Shevchuk oversaw the signing of agreements covering economics, trade, transport, agriculture, and science.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said fostering closer cooperation was especially important due to "regional and economic conditions becoming more complicated."
Shevchuk said Moldova's increased ties with the EU would bring more disadvantages than advantages.
Meanwhile, Russia’s agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor announced it will restrict meat imports from Moldova from July 5 over "violations of veterinary-sanitary demands and norms" -- a move the EU said looked like retaliation.
Moldova's parliament ratified the country's Association Agreement with the EU on July 2 despite Moscow's objections.
Excellent investigative report from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) documenting illicit sales of RPGs and other weapons to Ukraine by a Moldovan criminal group with access to Russian armories in Transdniester.