06:51
10.5.2014
No confirmation yet from the International Committee of the Red Cross concerning the status of its employees in Donetsk, and whether or not they were detained by gunmen for the self-styled "People's Republic of Donetsk." Here's a tweet from the organization yesterday confirming they had people there as well as in Kharkiv and Odesa, working with Ukrainian Red Cross staff.
06:46
10.5.2014
Now ITAR-TASS says the Red Cross employees reportedly detained in Donetsk have been released and quotes an unnamed ICRC source as saying there was "no hostage taking" (it is unclear whether that is a direct quote or the agency's phrasing).
06:41
10.5.2014
Russian and international news agencies report that members of the Red Cross have been seized by pro-Russian forces in the rebel-held eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk and accused of espionage.
18:42
9.5.2014
Barring major developments, that concludes our live blogging for May 9. Continuing coverage here.
18:23
9.5.2014
A quick rundown of Western reaction to Putin's visit to Crimea today, from our newsroom:
Western governments and NATO criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's May 9 visit to Crimea, which Russia recently annexed in violation of international law.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki called Putin's visit to Sevastopol for ceremonies marking the end of World War II "provocative and unnecessary."
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement the EU noted "with regret the presence of President Vladimir Putin at a military parade" in Sevastopol.
The statement continued that a day "dedicated to honoring the enormous sacrifices...in the Second World War, should not have been [used] to give visibility to the illegal annexation of Crimea."
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Crimea is still part of Ukraine "and from my knowledge the Ukrainian authorities haven't invited Putin to visit Crimea, so from that point of view his visit to Crimea is inappropriate."
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki called Putin's visit to Sevastopol for ceremonies marking the end of World War II "provocative and unnecessary."
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement the EU noted "with regret the presence of President Vladimir Putin at a military parade" in Sevastopol.
The statement continued that a day "dedicated to honoring the enormous sacrifices...in the Second World War, should not have been [used] to give visibility to the illegal annexation of Crimea."
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Crimea is still part of Ukraine "and from my knowledge the Ukrainian authorities haven't invited Putin to visit Crimea, so from that point of view his visit to Crimea is inappropriate."
18:00
9.5.2014
Shooter at 2-minute, 55-second mark:
17:53
9.5.2014
17:52
9.5.2014
17:31
9.5.2014
A seemingly shaky report by UNN quotes an anonymous source claiming Ukrainian forces detained around 100 separatists who tried to surround their bus near Donetsk and force them to surrender their weapons. Definitely unconfirmed, at this point.
17:23
9.5.2014
Michael E. Brown is among those suggesting that the current crisis is partly of the West's own making, adding that "U.S. and European leaders are now grappling with the immediate challenge posed by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, but they must also undertake a fundamental strategic reassessment." He writes in "Foreign Affairs" that:
Agree or disagree, it's worth reading:
Russian aggression is real, and it may continue. Putin’s, domestic approval ratings are up, and they may stay up unless economic sanctions change Russian public and elite opinion. Putin is not yet looking for an “off-ramp” to defuse the confrontation. To the contrary, he currently has a domestic political incentive for a sustained confrontation with the West.
Agree or disagree, it's worth reading: