12:45
24.5.2014
According to a May 23 report by the Russian Defense Ministry's television channel, Zvezda TV, 20 trainloads carrying troops and armaments have returned to their permanent bases from military exercises being conducted in Russian regions bordering Ukraine. The television channel also reports that military transport aircraft have made 20 flights from those regions, and that all subunits involved in the exercises in remote areas will return to their permanent bases by the time summer training starts.
12:48
24.5.2014
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has been calling on all his countrymen to vote tomorrow (from RFE/RL's news desk):
Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is urging Ukrainians to vote in the country's May 25 presidential election to "defend Ukraine."
In a statement issued to today, Yatsenyuk told Ukrainians that they have a responsibility to vote despite threats by "bandits sponsored from abroad" to disrupt the election.
Pro-Russian separatists have vowed to block voting in areas they control in the east of the country.
The days before the election have also seen a resurgence in fighting between government forces and the separatists who have declared their own so-called "people's republics" in the east.
Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would "respect" the outcome of the election, but he also said Ukraine has descended into what he described as "chaos and full-scale civil war."
In a statement issued to today, Yatsenyuk told Ukrainians that they have a responsibility to vote despite threats by "bandits sponsored from abroad" to disrupt the election.
Pro-Russian separatists have vowed to block voting in areas they control in the east of the country.
The days before the election have also seen a resurgence in fighting between government forces and the separatists who have declared their own so-called "people's republics" in the east.
Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would "respect" the outcome of the election, but he also said Ukraine has descended into what he described as "chaos and full-scale civil war."
12:57
24.5.2014
The head of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Public Security Department briefed the country's Cabinet of Ministers on the status of polling stations in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts today. Volodymyr Hrynyak was quoted by Ukraine's UNIAN news agency as saying that 22 district electoral commissions had been set up in Donetsk Oblast, of which nine were not functioning. Twelve were formed in Luhansk Oblast, of which eight were not functioning.
13:16
24.5.2014
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev made light of the impact of economic sanctions against Russia during his appearance on the "Vesti On Saturday" news program today.
In the course of the interview, the transcript of which was published in its entirety in Russian on the Russian government website today, Medvedev told host Sergei Brilev that the sanctions were an "echo of the Cold War" and that they will "bring no good" to either side.
Medvedev added that the impact of the sanctions had been "minimal" at best, if there had been any at all.
He offered a reminder that Russian tradeover with the European Union accounted for about $400 billion, and that European countries and companies had invested huge amounts into Russia. "These ties will suffer first and foremost," Medvedev said. "Who needs this? I think no one, it is obvious that such sanctions are harming business interests, primarily European businesses."
In the course of the interview, the transcript of which was published in its entirety in Russian on the Russian government website today, Medvedev told host Sergei Brilev that the sanctions were an "echo of the Cold War" and that they will "bring no good" to either side.
Medvedev added that the impact of the sanctions had been "minimal" at best, if there had been any at all.
He offered a reminder that Russian tradeover with the European Union accounted for about $400 billion, and that European countries and companies had invested huge amounts into Russia. "These ties will suffer first and foremost," Medvedev said. "Who needs this? I think no one, it is obvious that such sanctions are harming business interests, primarily European businesses."
13:17
24.5.2014
13:35
24.5.2014
Voting boxes at a Kyiv polling station.
13:50
24.5.2014
13:59
24.5.2014
An interesting case study of the Crimean operation as an example of modern Russian information warfare, published by the Warsaw-based Centre For Eastern Studies.
"All the federal television and radio channels, newspapers and a multitude of online resources have been employed in the recent disinformation campaign regarding the situation in Ukraine, which is being waged on an unprecedentedly large scale. The information front was supported by diplomats, politicians, political analysts, experts, and representatives of the academic and cultural elites. This front, though, was many years in the making...."
14:09
24.5.2014
14:10
24.5.2014