-- Self-appointed leaders of the Ukrainian separatist region of Donetsk appealed to Russia to consider absorbing it to "restore historic justice" and to send in troops.
-- Pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk said they would not allow voting for the May 25 presidential election to be conducted.
-- Diplomats say the European Union agreed to impose sanctions against 13 additional individuals and two companies, believed to be the first time the EU has targeted companies over the Ukraine crisis.
-- Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov called the votes a "sham" and the United States said they were illegal and merely "an attempt to create further division and disorder in the country."
-- RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service said one of its affiliate radio stations in Donetsk was taken off the air by gunmen and replaced by a pro-Russian broadcaster.
-- The Kremlin said Ukrainian officials in Kyiv should hold talks with pro-Russian separatists on the results of the self-rule referendums, adding that it respected the "expression of the people's will."
A reminder that correspondent Robert Coalson's terrific photo gallery explains why the Crimean campaign means so much to Moscow.
Photo Gallery:
The Siege Of Sevastopol: Why The Crimean Campaign Means So Much To Moscow
The fierce fighting on the Crimean Peninsula -- and particularly around the strategic port city of Sevastopol -- is one of the most dramatic and impressive pages of the Soviet Union's struggle during World War II. The story highlights the courage and endurance of the Red Army and Soviet civilians. And the Crimean campaign was one of the only bright spots for the Soviet Union during the dark, desperate days of the first two years of the war. In May 1945, Soviet leader Josef Stalin named Sevastopol -- together with Leningrad, Stalingrad, and Odesa -- as the first four "hero cities" of the Soviet Union. Crimea was conquered by the Russian Empire in the 18th century. For most of the Soviet period, it was part of the Russian republic. However, in 1954, the Soviet government transferred it to the Ukrainian republic. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia and the international community agreed to retain Crimea within the borders of the newly independent Ukraine. In March, however, Russia annexed the peninsula following a hastily called referendum, provoking a major international crisis and sparking instability that has since spread to other parts of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend Victory Day celebrations in Sevastopol on May 9, which marks both the 69th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Sevastopol from German occupation. Pride in the Soviet achievements during World War II has played a major role in Moscow's bid to strengthen its influence in the former Soviet states. -- Robert Coalson
14:449.5.2014
Could capital flows out of Russia last few months have been as high as $220bn? ECB seems to think so. Huge. http://t.co/AH9YsNYmLV
A relative mourns Andriy Biryukov, a pro-Ukrainian supporter who died in the May 2 Odesa clashes.
A new report by the Warsaw-based Open Dialog Foundation says local police hold ultimate responsibility for the deaths of more than 46 people in clashes in Odesa last week.
ODF writes the police "not only failed to prevent the clashes, but in some cases acted on behalf of the [Russian] provocateurs."
Firefighters inspect the burnt-out police headquarters in Mariupol.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov's full account on Facebook of today's events in Mariupol:
A group of terrorists comprising close to 60 people armed with automatic weapons, launched an attack on the city police building. There was an attempt to seize the building, without any previous demands. A fight ensued inside the building. This escalated into a full-scale military confrontation, after reinforcements arrived from the armed forces and Omega units from the National Guard. As a result of the fight, in which units from the National Guard, armed forces, and Azov special Interior Ministry forces, a significant number of the gathered terrorists were destroyed.
Close to 20 terrorists were killed, four were taken into custody. A number of the attackers discarded their weapons and escaped into the city's residential areas. Our losses -- one killed, five injured. All were members of the armed forces. The police headquarters were enveloped in flames.
Hired scum -- when will you calm down and have your fill of blood? Think!
Antiterrorist units have received reinforcements brought in from other regions. Regarding armed terrorists, they will have only one position -- shoot to kill. For those who think differently -- there will be dialogue, discourse, political compromise.
For those who come with weapons and shoot, who take and torture hostages, who rob people, all while hiding behind various slogans -- for you, the Ukrainian state will have only one response.
Everyone chooses for himself. The situation is becoming black and white. Any shades have moved to the sidelines. It can be no other way -- otherwise the country will turn into a flaming buffer zone where death will become the norm and life will be lived amid the ruins of the economy and civil rights.
Time to stop the madness. Enough politicization, enough insanity, enough propaganda. It's time to really push yourself to emerge from this state. I'm asking everyone, friends and enemies alike. Put aside your rivalries and personal interests. The fate of the country is on the line. Do honestly what you should. We're strong, we can, and we must!
14:089.5.2014
In this video from RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, you can see that despite calls in Kyiv to prohibit the traditional St. George ribbon during Victory Day celebrations, many residents of the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk wore the orange-and-black ribbon during the May 9 ceremonies. The symbol of both imperial and Soviet military valor has recently been adopted by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's east.
Off-duty police officer among those killed in Mariupol. He had a broken arm in a cast; is assumed to have been shot by a sniper.
13:279.5.2014
With much of today's attention on Crimea, Moscow sends a fresh message regarding another neighboring territory. From our newsroom:
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has taken part in ceremonies in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestr marking the end of World War II.
Rogozin, the Russian president's special representative for Transdniestr, said in Tiraspol May 9 Russia would do everything possible to guarantee the security of the self-declared republic.
He suggested that the government in Kyiv posed a danger to Transdniestr, which is between Ukaine and Moldova.
"On the borders of Transdniester a genuine blockade is being set up," Rozogin said, referring to Ukraine. "They don’t allow men 16 and 60 years old into neighboring Odesa, this speaks of the fear the fascists there are experiencing."
Rogozin arrived May 8 after a delay he said was caused by Ukrainian authorities denying his plane access through Ukrainian airspace.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (left) review the Russian fleet in Sevastopol today.
13:239.5.2014
This just in from our News desk...
Ukraine's Interior Ministry says about 20 "terrorists" were killed in fighting between security forces and pro-Russian supporters in the eastern Ukrainian port of Mariupol on May 9.
The fighting broke out when security forces stormed the separatist-held police station in the city. The station burned in the clash.
Interfax quotes separatists as saying the security forces used armored vehicles to shell the building. Regional health officials previously said three people were killed.
The fighting May 9 comes as Ukraine held muted Victory Day ceremonies due to official fears public gatherings could spark clashes between pro-Russian activists and government supporters.
But there were informal gatherings to mark the 69th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in cities across the country, including the restive east.
