11:27
1.6.2014
11:24
1.6.2014
In an exclusive interview published on Saturday, Russia's Dozhd TV speaks with the purported commander of the Vostok Battalion in Donetsk Oblast.
The commander, whose face is hidden from the camera, says he is an Ossetian from Russia who fought in South Ossetia in 2008, and that there are other such volunteers from Russia in the Vostok Battalion. He insists he is not paid for his role.
Without saying who calls the shots, the commander says he will leave Ukraine if ordered to. As for his vision for eastern Ukraine he says: "I can't tell you. We will do as we are told."
Regarding reports that Chechens are fighting in Ukraine, he denies any relation between his battalion and the Vostok Battalion stationed in Chechnya.
The commander, whose face is hidden from the camera, says he is an Ossetian from Russia who fought in South Ossetia in 2008, and that there are other such volunteers from Russia in the Vostok Battalion. He insists he is not paid for his role.
Without saying who calls the shots, the commander says he will leave Ukraine if ordered to. As for his vision for eastern Ukraine he says: "I can't tell you. We will do as we are told."
Regarding reports that Chechens are fighting in Ukraine, he denies any relation between his battalion and the Vostok Battalion stationed in Chechnya.
11:02
1.6.2014
From ITAR-TASS today:
Authorities of southeast Ukraine's self-proclaimed Donetsk people's republic do not have any information about whereabouts of four observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Co-chairman of Donetsk republican government Denis Pushilin told Itar-Tass by phone on Sunday.
"We do not have them," he said, adding that information coming in media had been checked, but no reports had been made about their whereabouts yet.
People's Mayor of the Donetsk regional city of Slavyansk Vyacheslav Ponomarev told Itar-Tass on Sunday that he did not have any information about the fate of four OSCE observers, the phone contact was lost with them on Monday evening when they were on the way from the city of Lugansk to Donetsk in southeast Ukraine.
"I can say now that there are no OSCE observers in Slavyansk now," Ponomarev said, noting that there was only information that a group of 11 OSCE observers was released from captivity after the phone contact had been lost with them on Wednesday.
Media reports were made on Sunday with the reference to Vyacheslav Ponomarev about the release of all OSCE observers in Donetsk region, but his words were interpreted incorrectly....
"We do not have them," he said, adding that information coming in media had been checked, but no reports had been made about their whereabouts yet.
People's Mayor of the Donetsk regional city of Slavyansk Vyacheslav Ponomarev told Itar-Tass on Sunday that he did not have any information about the fate of four OSCE observers, the phone contact was lost with them on Monday evening when they were on the way from the city of Lugansk to Donetsk in southeast Ukraine.
"I can say now that there are no OSCE observers in Slavyansk now," Ponomarev said, noting that there was only information that a group of 11 OSCE observers was released from captivity after the phone contact had been lost with them on Wednesday.
Media reports were made on Sunday with the reference to Vyacheslav Ponomarev about the release of all OSCE observers in Donetsk region, but his words were interpreted incorrectly....
10:36
1.6.2014
10:00
1.6.2014
09:51
1.6.2014
From our news desk, ahead of tomorrow's key gas talks:
Ukraine says Russia should recognize its newly elected president, Petro Poroshenko, ahead of gas debt and price talks on June 2 involving officials from Kyiv, Moscow, and the European Union.
Acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya says Russia should have recognized Poroshenko’s May 25 presidential election victory by now.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised before the vote to “respect” the will of Ukrainian voters.
Instead, Deshchytsya says, Moscow has launched a massive information campaign aimed at persuading global powers not to recognize Poroshenko’s victory.
Eastern Ukraine’s pro-Russian separatist insurgency has intensified since the pro-Western Poroshenko won the vote.
But government forces reported no casualties on May 31 after repelling two rebel attacks on an airport in Donetsk.
The OSCE said on May 31 it still has no news about two teams of observers detained by separatists during the past week.
Acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya says Russia should have recognized Poroshenko’s May 25 presidential election victory by now.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised before the vote to “respect” the will of Ukrainian voters.
Instead, Deshchytsya says, Moscow has launched a massive information campaign aimed at persuading global powers not to recognize Poroshenko’s victory.
Eastern Ukraine’s pro-Russian separatist insurgency has intensified since the pro-Western Poroshenko won the vote.
But government forces reported no casualties on May 31 after repelling two rebel attacks on an airport in Donetsk.
The OSCE said on May 31 it still has no news about two teams of observers detained by separatists during the past week.
09:50
1.6.2014
Good morning, starting up the live blog for another day. At the moment, things seem mostly quiet.
22:21
31.5.2014
Barring any late breaking news, this ends our live-blogging for today.
16:50
31.5.2014
16:12
31.5.2014
Russia is influencing eastern Ukraine in more ways than one: