Live Blog: Crisis In Ukraine (Archive)

"It was a good sign that the Swedish inspector [from the OSCE] was released. Unfortunately in the last days, we did not hear encouraging signs from Slovyansk, that the people there would be willing to go fast in terms of releasing the inspectors. And this is again why I think it is so important that all OSCE countries are united in terms of their call for immediate release of the inspectors, and that clearly relates to the need for the Russian Federation to take a clear stance on the subject. That would be helpful."

"It is very clear that what is happening would not be happening without Russian involvement. That doesn't mean that everything you see is Russian involvement but what is happening would not be happening without Russian involvement."

"There is no new news at this point. Obviously we remain deeply concerned about the international group of hostages who were invited by the government of Ukraine formally under the Vienna document, as well as their Ukrainian escorts who remain among those who are being held hostage in the dungeon of Slovyansk, and there are efforts ongoing on the ground to get them freed, and we are certainly deeply concerned about the situation and hope that they will be free very, very soon."

"The core of our position is that the church ought to be above the confrontation. It must retain its peacemaking potential even when everyone believes that in principle no peacemaking potential exists at all. Today's events in Ukraine show that our church is the only one upholding such point of view -- all the rest ended up being taken over by these events."

Defections, informants and fear of arrest have eroded the ranks of Ukraine's police and security services as pro-Russian separatists advance in the country's east

Russian media reports said on April 30 that President Vladimir Putin is planning to make his first visit to Crimea since Moscow annexed it last month.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant and news website Gazeta.ru quoted unnamed sources in the Russian government saying Putin plans to attend a May 9 military parade at the Russian Black Sea Fleet's base in Sevastopol.

The reports said that Putin is expected to fly to Crimea after overseeing the Russia's main military parade on Moscow's Red Square, marking 69 years since Nazi Germany surrendered to allied forces in Europe to end World War II.

The reports said Putin could be accompanied by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Ukraine's acting president said on April 30 that Ukraine's army is on "full combat alert" as pro-Russian separatists seized the administrative headquarters in another eastern town.

Oleksandr Turchynov told a ministerial meeting in Kyiv that "the threat of Russia starting a war against mainland Ukraine is real," adding, "Our armed forces are on full combat alert."