Good morning. We'll start the live blog today with this update from our news desk (peripheral but pertinent to Ukraine):
The Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is starting a six-day military exercise near the border of Estonia.
The commander in charge of the "Cooperation-2015" exercises, Russian General Vladimir Shamanov said the drills would practice "localizing an armed conflict and eliminating illegal armed formations in the Eastern European region."
Beginnning on August 23, the exercises are being conducted in Russia's western Pskov region and involve some 2,000 troops, including some 1,000 Russian paratroopers, some 200 vehicles and about 40 warplanes and helicopters.
Troops from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan are also participating.
The CSTO press office issued a release on August 20 saying that the "concept of the exercises is based on an imaginary military and political situation unrelated to real developments."
However, both Russian and NATO forces have been conducting military exercises in areas within close proximity to Russia's western borders as ties between Moscow and the West continue to be strained over events in Ukraine.
(TASS, Interfax)