Here is an RFE/RL video of a big "vyshyvanka" event in Kyiv yesterday, where Ukrainians turned out in force to pay homage to the traditional embroidered shirts that form part of their national identity.
Here's a news item concerning Poland -- peripheral but still pertinent:
Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 25 called for "constructive ties" with Poland as he congratulated conservative Andrzej Duda on his surprise presidential victory.
Duda won the May 24 vote by 52 percent to 48 percent, according to an exit poll, scoring a stunning turnaround to oust incumbent centrist leader Bronislaw Komorowski.
Duda's Law and Justice party is close to the Catholic Church, socially conservative, and considered less business-friendly than the governing Civic Platform party.
Putin expressed hope in a Kremlin statement that "the building of constructive ties between Russia and Poland, based on the principles of good neighborly relations and a mutual respect for each other's interests, would help strengthen security and stability in Europe."
Poland has been one of the fiercest critics of Russia over its alleged meddling in Ukraine.
The European Union -- of which Poland is a member -- and the United States have slapped sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, with Moscow hitting back with embargoes on Western agricultural produce.
(Reuters, Interfax)
Here is a map of the latest military situation in the Donbas region today -- issued by Ukraine's Defense Ministry (click image to enlarge):
(WATCH: RFE/RL Ukrainian Service Journalists Assaulted)
Journalists from RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service were assaulted by an unknown man while filming at a company headquarters near Odesa. The team were investigating a $3 million tender for vehicle license plates, which has been won by a company with no previous record of making licence plates. During the assault, captured on camera, a journalist warns the man he'll call the police. The man says "fine, call the police." The camera was damaged during the incident.
More from our news desk on the hostage-taking in eastern Ukraine:
A gunman who took three hostages in northeast Ukraine has been killed and his captives freed unharmed.
The Interior Ministry said the 48-year-old man had shot dead two people with a rifle in the town of Lyubotin in the Kharkiv region and then drove to a gasoline station station where he took hostages.
Interfax Ukraine quoted regional governor Ihor Rainin as telling journalists the "criminal has been killed," without disclosing further details.
The area is a considerable distance from the conflict zone where government forces are fighting Russian-backed separatists and police appeared to be treating the incident as purely criminal.