Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
Poroshenko Declares Ukraine 'Has Cut All Ties With Russian Empire'
By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
KYIV -- President Petro Poroshenko has marked Ukraine's Independence Day by announcing at a military parade in Kyiv that his country "has cut all ties with the Russian empire and the Soviet Union."
Poroshenko also said during the August 24 event that Ukraine needs to cut all ties with the Russian Orthodox Church "that blesses" Russia's "hybrid war against Ukraine."
"Our generation's major goal is to make our independence irreversible, to turn Ukraine into a strong and great country without the possibility of returning to the zone of Russian influence," Poroshenko said.
"The issue [of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's split from the Russian Orthodox Church] is of the same importance as such issues as strengthening of our army, defending our language, our struggle to join the European Union and NATO," he said. "That is another aim of our historic path, a significant component of our independence."
Some 4,500 soldiers, 250 military vehicles, and 18 units comprised of 300 foreign troops took part in the parade, which also featured women who are in Ukraine's military forces.
Dispensing with a traditional Soviet-era military greeting used in previous years, Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak greeted the marching troops by declaring, "Glory to Ukraine!" The troops replied: "Glory to the heroes!"
Poltorak's greeting had been used by Ukrainian nationalist troops who fought for Ukraine's independence during World War II.
Poroshenko announced that he will propose that parliament pass legislation to make the expression the official military greeting in Ukraine.
Ukraine announced its independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991, almost four months before the official dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Ties between Ukraine and Russia have worsened since Moscow illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea region and instigated a conflict between pro-Kremlin separatists and Ukrainian armed forces in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Russia 'Disappointed' After Bosnia Denies Entry To Writer, Citing Security Concerns
By RFE/RL's Balkan Service
Authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina have barred Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin from entering the country, triggering an angry reaction from Bosnian Serb leaders and Russia’s embassy in Sarajevo.
In a statement on August 23, the embassy expressed “concern and deep disappointment” after Prilepin was turned back at the Raca border crossing between Serbia and Bosnia, adding that it has requested an explanation from the Bosnian Foreign Ministry.
Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said the ban on Prilepin was "shameful, inadmissible, and directed against friends of Republika Srpska,” Bosnia's predominantly Serb entity.
Prilepin said he had been due to attend a literary event on August 24 in Banja Luka, the administrative center of Republika Srpska.
He told Russia's state-run Sputnik news agency that when he tried to cross the border at Raca, he was presented with a document saying he was barred from entering Bosnia because he "represents a threat for the security and international relations” of the country.
Prilepin is associated with Russia-backed separatists that are fighting against Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian writer said he thinks the entry ban may be linked to his involvement in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Bosnia’s Intelligence and Security Agency reportedly issued an entry ban against Prilepin in March, citing security concerns.
Fighting between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces in Ukraine’s eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk has killed more than 10,300 people since April 2014.
Bosnia is split into two entities: the ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosniaks and Croats. The two entities are linked by joint state-level institutions, including a tripartite presidency.