A woman carries a baby as she passes destroyed houses following what locals say was overnight shelling by Ukrainian forces in the eastern town of Slovyansk on June 9.

Live Blog: Crisis In Ukraine (Archive)

June 09, 2014 02:37 GMT

Summary for June 9

-- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry says that Moscow and Kyiv have reached a "mutual understanding" on key parts of a plan proposed by President Petro Poroshenko for ending violence in separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine.

-- Reports say up to 20 armed gunmen were trying to seize property from a factory (Topaz) that makes communications and electronic-warfare equipment in the Donetsk region.

-- A deputy foreign minister says Russia will consider any expansion of NATO forces near its borders a "demonstration of hostile intentions" and "take the necessary political and military-technological measures to support our security."

-- A two-man crew for Russian Zvezda TV arrived in Moscow after being released from detention in Ukraine.

-- Serbian officials say their own work on the Russian-backed South Stream gas pipeline will have to be suspended after Bulgaria stopped construction of its portion based on EU and U.S. concerns.

-- Ukrainian security forces are reportedly still battling pro-Russian separatists in the east near Slovyansk and Donetsk.

*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Kyiv

12:36 18.5.2014

Our Ukrainian Service reports on plans by the "People's Republic of Donetsk" to hold parliamentary elections on September 14.

12:57 18.5.2014

Video from our Ukraine Service's Crimea desk showing Russian helicopters flying over a Crimean Tatar rally in Simferopol today commemorating the 70th anniversary of Stalin's deportation of Crimean Tatars.

13:41 18.5.2014

The German news magazine "Spiegel" says NATO is looking at possible scenarios in the event of a Russian military action in Eastern Europe, but is unprepared for such a situation at the moment (in German).

14:01 18.5.2014

Ukraine's Channel 5 TV reporting that acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has written an official letter to the Justice Ministry asking that it examine materials gathered by the State Security Service and the Prosecutor-General's Office regarding unconstitutional activities by Ukraine's Communist Party.

14:03 18.5.2014

14:12 18.5.2014

Denis Pushilin, self-styled pro-Russian leader of the so-called People's Republic of Donetsk, speaking today during a rally in Donetsk...

"We will clear our territory shortly because we have a very good support base, and we all know very well that should wide scale military operations be launched against us, the Russian army will be here in no time at all."

... and in exclusive comments to Reuters:

"How can we participate in elections of a state that is our neighbor as of recently? No, there will be no election here. Even without the Donetsk People's Republic declared -- had we remained in the Donetsk Region -- we did not have our candidate to run [for the Ukrainian presidency], and there cannot be one. It is impossible to find a single person now who could suit all of Ukraine -- regardless of the newly-established republics."

14:21 18.5.2014

15:39 18.5.2014

According to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement posted today:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a telephone discussion today that "Kyiv must stop using armed forces against protesters," in compliance with the Geneva agreements reached in April.

Lavrov also called for an open investigation into the "massacre in Odesa" and other "violence against civilians."

15:54 18.5.2014

Barring major developments, this wraps up our live blogging for May 18, 2014.

05:25 19.5.2014

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Live Blog: Crisis In Ukraine (Archive)