Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
Poles Balance Security And Trade On Russian Border
Faced with and increasingly aggressive Russia, NATO leaders are expected to approve a plan to deploy troops to the Baltic states and Poland at their July summit in Warsaw. Anxious Poles living next to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad say they welcome the move. But with their local economies dependent on Russian shoppers, they also hope to keep relations with their northern neighbors as friendly as possible. (Camera: Marek Hajduk, Producer: Stuart Greer)
NATO, Partners Begin 'Rapid Trident' Exercises In Ukraine
An annual NATO-led training exercise has kicked off in western Ukraine near the Polish border. The 16th edition of the "Rapid Trident" exercise brings together troops from 11 countries, including NATO members such as the United States, Canada, Britain, and Turkey. It also includes non-NATO countries in the alliance's Partnership for Peace program, such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. It will focus on "peacekeeping and stability operations. (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
Ukrainian Opera Singer Killed While Fighting In Eastern Ukraine
A Ukrainian opera singer who left the Paris Opera two years ago to fight Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has reportedly been killed.
The death of Vasyl Slipak was confirmed by Ukraine’s permanent representative to the Council of Europe, Dmytro Kuleba, in a Twitter posting on June 29.
Media in Ukraine cite Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers in the region of Donetsk as saying that Slipak was killed by a sniper on June 29 near the village of Luhansk.
A native of Ukraine's western region of Lviv, Slipak graduated from the Lysenko Music Academy in Lviv in 1997. He was then invited to join the Paris Opera, where he worked for almost 20 years as an opera singer.
In 2014, Slipak returned to his homeland and joined Ukrainian volunteers fighting Russia-backed separatists in the country’s east.
Based on reporting by hromadske.tv and depo.ua