Breaking: Kiev launches Military Action in Eastern Ukraine

Thursday, May 15
21:11 GMT:
Ukrainian troops are shooting with artillery fire at posts set up by pro-autonomy activists in Slavyansk, Itar-Tass reported citing a self-defense source, adding that most of the military action is happening on the outskirts of the city.

19:19 GMT:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stressed the need to cooperate with Russia despite differences in the approach to the events in Ukraine.

"I am convinced that in the medium and long term, a close partnership with Russia should continue,"Merkel told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The German leader stressed that in dealing with Moscow, "sanctions are not an end in themselves, but if they should become unavoidable, then we will decide on them together" with other countries.

19:03 GMT:
Hundreds of people in Germany booed Chancellor Angela Merkel for her government’s support of the new regime in Kiev, which the protestors labeled a “Nazi” government.

18:29 GMT:
Martial law has been announced in the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk. People’s governor Pavel Gubarev has also reminded Kiev that the ultimatum period is expiring.

“There is one hour left for the Ukrainian occupants to meet our ultimatum and remove their illegal checkpoints and take their troops and vehicles out of the region’s cities. Otherwise a total destruction will follow,” Gubarev wrote on his Facebook page. “Residents, if you do not get it – we switch to martial law now,” he added.

17:12 GMT:
A household in Slavyansk came under fire from Kiev’s security forces, with the owner filming bullet holes and other damage to his property.

14:56 GMT:
The relatives of men who were mobilized by Kiev’s coup-imposed authorities have rallied in front of the military commissariat in Ukraine’s Kharkov region, Gazeta.ru reports.

According to the protesters, their husbands and sons were taken to serve in the army more than 45 days ago, and no decision has been made to release them.

A woman told the website that the men live in poor conditions, adding that they do not have enough water and are barely fed.

Representatives of the military commissariat said they have no idea what must be done to see the men demobilized, and advised the protestors to write a letter directly to the Ministry of Defense in Kiev.

13:33 GMT:
The Ukrainian coat of arms has been removed from the administration building in the city of Makeevka in the Donetsk region.

13:07 GMT:
The reports of the OSCE mission in Ukraine are being “sterilized,” Russian envoy to the organization, Andrey Kelin, told the Itar-Tass news agency.

This is happening due to “extremely heavy pressure” on the mission from the Kiev authorities and “those who put them in power – the US and the EU,” he explained.

I cant seem to imbed this vid but it is about who may have been the person behind the burning and slaughter www.youtube.com...

Friday, May 16

11:32 GMT:

Unidentified people have opened fire at an airfield in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk Region, Ukraine’s defense ministry announced on its official website.

“The attackers have been firing for about 20 minutes…Ukrainian troops fired back to protect the airfield,”said in the statement.

09:04 GMT:
The anti-government protesters in the People’s Republic of Donetsk aren’t saying how they will respond to the expired ultimatum to Kiev coup-appointed authorities.

“Our branch issued an ultimatum and we will take action. I think they won’t reveal their tactics,” said a co-chair of the republic’s government, Miroslav Rudenko, adding that on Thursday night the protesters already took some active steps.

Kiev troops also started shooting on Thursday night, he added.

Earlier, representatives from the People’s Republic of Donetsk gave Kiev an ultimatum, saying that if Ukrainian troops don’t leave seized checkpoints in the city of Donetsk, the protesters would launch an armed operation against them. Time ran out on May 15 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT).

08:13 GMT:
A UN secretary-general representative, Stephane Dujarric, has said that the UN has voiced concerns to the Ukrainian Permanent Mission to the UN over reports of the use of helicopters with peacekeepers symbols in the Donetsk Region of Ukraine. At least three white helicopters with UN identification marks were reportedly used in a military operation near the city of Kramatorsk.

States that supply equipment for UN peacekeeping operations are obliged to “remove all logos and signs bearing the UN’s name once such equipment has been repatriated to the home country or is no longer being used for official UN purposes,” RIA Novosti quoted UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq as saying.

UN agencies are said to be “in contact with the Ukrainian authorities” on this issue.

Friday, May 16
16:06 GMT:
The UN secretary-general’s assistant, Ivan Shimonovich, has said the fire in Odessa Trade Union’s office and the deaths of 48 people could have been avoided. He has called for a thorough investigation to find out who is responsible and why police didn’t act in the correct manner.


14:38 GMT:
The self-defense forces have surrounded a military unit’s deployment site in the city of Donetsk, Dmitry Obraztsov, the spokesman for Eastern Territorial Command of Internal Troops of Ukraine, said.

Around 30 armed men have arrived by bus and besieged the facility, he told the UNIAN news agency, adding that talks between the sides are currently underway.

14:28 GMT:
The Supreme Council of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has appointed Aleksandr Borodai as the new prime minister, RBK-Ukraine reports. Also, the speaker of the Council, the head of the Defense Council and the Minister of Defense were appointed.

14:27 GMT:
The leader of the Svoboda (Freedom) parliamentary party and presidential candidate, Oleg Tyagnibok, have compared anti-government protesters in Donetsk to Maidan demonstrators, saying:“They want the same that Ukrainians at Maidan wanted during the Revolution of Dignity (EuroMaidan) – to be the masters of their land,” Ukrainian news agency reported.

Tyagnibok stressed it is the new authorities’ “task” to give people in Donetsk and “across all of Ukraine”what they demand, which is “accountability of authorities, independence of the courts, protection of constitutional rights, security of life and property, freedom of enterprise and social justice.”

14:16 GMT:
Ukrainian border guards have denied entry to over 20,000 Russian citizens since the coup in February, RIA Novosti reported citing the head of the press-office of the state border guard service of Ukraine. During the same period, over 200 Ukrainian citizens were banned from leaving the county.

12:32 GMT:
At least 10 Russian journalists have been refused entry to or expelled from Ukraine by Kiev authorities in the last 24 hours, said Sergey Astakhov, deputy head of Ukraine’s Federal Border Guard Service.

He said they are accused of secret filming on the territory of Ukraine.

18:57 GMT:
The law forbids Communist Party leader, Pyotr Simonenko, from withdrawing from the Ukrainian presidential election, the country’s Central Election Commission said.

“Anyone, regardless of their name… had an opportunity to submit such application until May 1, inclusive, but afterwards – starting from 00.00 on May 2 – it can’t be done,” the Central Election Commission’s press-service told the UNN website.

The press service also stressed that they haven’t yet received any paperwork from Simonenko, regarding his possible retirement from the presidential race.

18:44 GMT:
The leader of Ukraine’s Communist Party, Pyotr Simonenko, has announced his withdrawal from the country’s presidential race during a live debate on national television, Ukrainskaya Pravda paper reports.

The current “censorship and crackdown on dissidents” by the coup-imposed authorities in Kiev make the election on May 25 “illegitimate,” Simonenko explained.

There’s war underway in Ukraine, with “oligarchs putting together only by their own gangs, but different militarized power structures,” he added.

18:42 GMT:
The self-defense forces have seized a military unit’s deployment site in the city of Donetsk, which also hosted the Easter Territorial Command of the Ukrainian National Guard, RIA-Novosti news agency reports.

The facility was surrounded by 30 armed men, with the talks between the sides ending in the military’s redeployment to a nearby garrison.

17:16 GMT:
A draft resolution on banning the “parliamentary faction of the Communist Party of Ukraine”has been presented to the country’s parliament, Verkhovna Rada.

The document was initiated by MPs from the Batkivshina (Fatherland) party of acting prime-minister, Arseny Yatsenyuk.

The communists came under fire for their calls to stop Kiev’s military operation in southeastern Ukraine, which they call “terrorism against its own people.”

originally posted by: VirusGuard
a reply to: the2ofusr1

Don't know but my theory has some logic to it.

This new development might be due to Russia now giving help to the people in East Ukraine and I say about time too.

Lets not forget that the USA is giving weapons to terrorists in Syria so if it's OK for the USA to do it then it must be OK for everyone else.

It would only take a few RPG's to knockout a few tanks from Kiev to make them think twice before driving around the east of the Ukraine as if they have a mandate to do so.

The UN as far as I know has no personal in the Ukraine so I am not sure what these white helicopters are all about but to be honest I think Russia would do a better job than the puppets in the UN on the understanding that they stick to a time schedule for removing all troops come hell or high water.

I note that Exon is still pumping oil in Russia, Shell stil have all its stations open so don't discount my theory too soon.

They do have AT weaponry. Somewhere in the last two dozen pages of this militaryphotos.net thread, the rebels have RPG-7s and Métis ATGMs.

Earlier on there were weapons being seized by some of people disarming the military going into the east so that may account for some of them .I would also imagine that some of the Ukrainian Military that sided with the east would have had access to some as well a reply to: Vovin ETA Saturday, May 17

11:52 GMT:
There are no Russian agents in Ukraine, while US mercenaries coordinate the actions of Ukrainian troops in the country’s south east, according to Russia’s presidential envoy to the OSCE, Andrey Kelin.

“Incessant lies of Russia being involved in violations of OSCE obligations in Ukraine, accusations of imaginary aggression are obvious provocations,” Kelin said, as cited by Itar-Tass, adding that sensational claims of “Russian presence” in eastern Ukraine have not been confirmed.

Kelin also mentioned reports of US elite mercenaries taking part in the Ukrainian military operation against anti-government protesters, and said that US attempts at denying the reports have so far been weak.

11:14 GMT:
Moscow has called on Kiev to immediately stop military operations in southeastern Ukraine, seeing it as incompatible with the preparation for elections, according to the Foreign Ministry’s statement.

“We once again insist on Kiev’s immediate termination of military actions in southeastern Ukraine,” the statement reads. “There’s also a question of whether conducting an election accompanied by the roar of guns is consisten with the democratic norms of the electoral process currently going on in Ukraine?”

02:18 GMT:
Ukrainian troops stationed in eastern Ukraine are suffering heavy losses, the so-called “people’s mayor” of Slavyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, said during a Friday press conference, Itar-Tass reported.

Ponomarev stated that a total of 650 individuals were killed or wounded between May 2-12.

Friday, May 16
23:40 GMT:
US President Barack Obama and his French counterpart Francois Hollande warned of more sanctions against Russia on Friday if Moscow continues its “provocative and destabilizing” behavior in Ukraine.

“The presidents underscored that Russia will face significant additional costs if it continues its provocative and destabilizing behavior,” the White House said in a statement.

“President Obama praised the Ukrainian government’s efforts to unify the country by holding free and fair presidential elections on May 25 that will lead to an inclusive constitutional reform process.”

The two leaders, who spoke on the phone, also discussed the kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria, as well as a conference hosted by Hollande in Paris on how to fight against Boko Haram – the Islamic militant group that is holding the girls.

Saturday, May 17
16:59 GMT:
Moscow says it will consider Kiev’s proposal on taking joint steps to stabilize the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoriy Karasin told RIA Novosti.

“In principle, we have normal working contacts with our Ukrainian colleagues. So, if this appeal is grounded, we will react appropriately. But first, we have to examine the letter,” he said.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry sent Moscow a note saying that such joint measures are needed because of the “significant deterioration of the situation” on the border caused by “the stepping up of activities of trans-border organized criminal groups.”

16:03 GMT:
The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) won’t participate in the election of the Ukrainian president on May 25, says the new prime minister of the breakaway region in the East of the country.

“There won’t be any presidential elections on the territory of the republic,” announced Aleksandr Borodai, who was elected leader of the self-proclaimed republic on Friday.

12:25 GMT:
Gazprom will do everything to ensure Europe does not have problems with gas transits through Ukraine, the Russian gas giant’s CEO, Aleksey Miller, said in an interview to Sergey Brilyov of the Rossiya-1 TV channel.

“Only the South Stream will totally resolve all risks linked to transit through Ukraine,” Miller said. South Stream is Gazprom’s $45 billion pipeline, bypassing Ukraine, which is slated to open in 2018 . Miller also spoke of the growing importance of the Nord Stream, opened in 2011 and the OPAL project, a transit link pipeline that would connect the Nord Stream to gas networks throughout Europe.

Ukraine currently has a $3.5 billion debt to Gazprom. Starting from June 1, Russian gas will only be delivered to Ukraine if it pays for it in advance.

The Truthseeker: NATO false flags in Ukraine Sunday, May 18
06:33 GMT:
The People’s Mayor of Donesk says 7 members of the Ukrainian National Guard have been killed during their assault on the city.

“Gunfire began yesterday evening and continued all night. Our fighters retaliated and killed at least 7 of the aggressors,” said the People’s Mayor to Interfax.

Saturday, May 17
22:35 GMT:
One person died in clashes in Donetsk region’s Velikonovoselkovskiy district on Saturday, Denis Pushilin, a leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said, as cited by RIA Novosti. Around 30 people initiated the attacks and the number of injured is undetermined at this point, Pushilin added. A special operation is being organized to help local residents.

Sunday, May 18

15:02 GMT:
An APC convoy is heading to the center of Kramatorsk, while self-defense is fighting with Kiev military forces, according to local activists.

"About 10 fighters wearing black uniforms with no markings, as well as several people in camouflage are sitting on top of each combat vehicle," a member of self-defense told Itar-tass. He believes there are National Guard and Right Sector militants among them.

Powerful explosions and intense shooting, including from large-caliber guns, can be heard from the city center.

15:00 GMT:
Several self-defense checkpoints have been attacked by the Kiev army near the eastern city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, according to self-defense forces. One of the factories in a suburb of the city is on fire.

14:43 GMT:
Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, have expressed concern about the continuing military clashes in eastern Ukraine. The ministers “urged both sides of the conflict to deescalate tensions to avoid new victims and to create favorable conditions for an all-inclusive national dialogue concerning constitutional reform in Ukraine,” the statement published on Russia’s foreign ministry website said.

"Lavrov emphasized the need for Kiev to cease using armed force against protesters, as required by the April-17 Geneva Agreement," the ministry added.

12:02 GMT:
Several thousand demonstrators have gathered in Donetsk, demanding that the Donetsk People’s Republic open its borders with Russia, Vitaly Ivanov, an employee of the press service of the Republic told RIA Novosti.

The protesters are chanting “Republic!” and “Crimea-Donbass-Russia!” They are calling for the boycott of the upcoming Ukrainian elections in a week.

11:22 GMT:
The parliamentary elections in Donetsk People’s Republic will take place by the majority principle, co-chairman of the republic, Denis Pushilin, said during a demonstration in the city of Donetsk.

“We’re currently preparing for the elections on September 14. The elections will take place by the majority principle. We’re working on it, and we’ll reach our goal,” he said, as quoted by Itar-Tass news agency.

...Meanwhile, on the Internet:

"acting president of ukraine" - leader of coup government. and its not 'kiev' that is doing operations. its blackwater - as german media exposed.

www.presstv.ir...

www.globalresearch.ca...

What is the deal with this so-called Ukrainian ??? a reply to: Vovin Monday, May 19
08:32 GMT:
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu to send troops back to bases from drills they were having in the southwestern regions of Rostov, Belgorod and Bryansk on the border with Ukraine, according to Kremlin's press-service.

01:44 GMT:
The forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) are currently negotiating the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the city of Mariupol, self-defense leader Andrey Borisov said, according to UNN news agency. “Right now we are negotiating to have them leave the territory, we don’t want to use force against them, we don’t want bloodshed,” Borisov said. He said the DNR has already organized a strong power unit that can fight “the military without any resistance on their part," adding that "we can destroy their armored vehicles and everything else.”

Monday, May 19

11:12 GMT:
Moscow has appealed to the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to launch an international investigation into the May-2 tragedy in Odessa, when 48 people died, mostly in the fire at the Trade Unions House.

“We will seek an objective and impartial investigation, which is only possible if it's an international one,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding Moscow did not trust the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) to carry out the investigation.

Lavrov said new details of the events on May 2 were emerging, including reports that “on the eve of the tragedy around a thousand militants, including allegedly foreign mercenaries” arrived in Odessa.

“We want these [reports] to be thoroughly investigated, as well as reports that say people didn’t die of carbon monoxide poisoning, but from toxic chemical substances, and from bullet wounds. Many were allegedly finished off, after they had managed to get out of the burning building.”

10:25 GMT:
A television crew from the Rossiya channel has been deported from Ukraine according to RIA Novosti. Correspondent, Kseniya Kibkalo said that police came to the house where they were staying in Uzhgorod, which is in the far west of Ukraine, near the Slovakian border. They were taken to a police station without being told what done wrong, before they were asked why they had decided to come to Uzhgorod and which places they had already visited. According to Kibkalo, she was asked to sign a statement, where she was suspected of inciting national hatred, creating separatism and of destabilizing the situation in Ukraine. It was recommended that they leave the country by May 19, otherwise they would be deported. rt.com...

a reply to: the2ofusr1

The image was presented by a pro-Assad cyber group that had exposed many other social media shills in terms of information warfare on Syria. Seems like the tactics are back, again.

Tuesday, May 20
03:26 GMT:
Ukrainian forces have resumed their assault on Slavyansk early Tuesday morning from Karachun Mountain in the Donesk region, ITAR-TASS reports, citing a representative of the People's Militia.

According to the source, loud explosions can be heard throughout the city and windows are shuddering.

Monday night attacks caused partial damage to residential buildings on the outskirts of the city, near the village of Semyonovka. One women was wounded in the shelling, the source said, adding that after the initial attack, self-defense forces also clashed with a Ukrainian National Guard unit.


02:09 GMT:
A group of armed men attacked Transamiak chemical plant in the village of Gorlovka, located in the Donetsk region, RIA Novosti quoted the local city council as saying.

“Several pieces of automotive and computer equipment were stolen. The building was damaged,”authorities said, stating that the plant continues to work as usual. There is no health risk to the local population following the attack on the ammonia plant.

Monday, May 19

22:17 GMT:
NATO is ready to offer help to Ukraine in reforming its defense sector, making it more adaptive to so-called "hybrid war" methods, Andrey Parubiy, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said after meeting the alliance’s delegation.

After meeting with the NATO-Ukraine Joint Working Group, Parubiy said partners discussed the issue of NATO experts “conducting the inspection of the security sector, and implementation of these reforms.”

According to the Ukrainian politician, the “so-called hybrid warfare” method includes the use of“subversive groups, criminal elements, and information warfare,” which all now require a reform of the Ukrainian defense sector.

Parubiy also said that NATO is offering “big morale support to Ukrainians” and has informed the Ukrainian side that member countries have donated “bulletproof vests, helmets, night-vision devices, and other varieties of non-lethal aid” to strengthen Ukrainian security.

21:41 GMT:
NATO’s increased military activity near the Russian border is not improving European security, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Monday, commenting on a phone conversation between the chief of general staff of the Russian armed forces, General Valery Gerasimov, and NATO General Knud Bartels. "Army General Valery Gerasimov expressed concern over the substantial increase of NATO military activity near the Russian border, which does not contribute to security in Europe," the statement said.

21:34 GMT:
The NATO-Russia Council’s meeting over the deteriorating situation in Ukraine may take place in the coming days, Russian ambassador to NATO Aleksandr Grushko said. “Considering the urgency of the situation in Ukraine we expect that NATO members will respond to our initiative positively and the meeting will take place in the coming days this week,” he said, as quoted by Interfax.

21:20 GMT:
Russia has called for an unbiased investigation into the tragedy in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa. “Russia insistently calls on the leadership of leading international organizations to use all capabilities to influence the Kiev regime which in essence is sabotaging the investigation,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Russian FM Sergey Lavrov has sent a relevant message to OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss President Didier Burkhalter, OSCE Secretary-General Lamberto Zannier, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, and Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland. “The sent messages in particular emphasize the inadmissibility of closed consideration by the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada of the circumstances of that crime,” the ministry added. “Those guilty and initiators of what happened must be established and brought to account.”

21:01 GMT:
Kiev may have to block the payment of pensions and salaries of state employees in the cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk due to the “substandard security situation,“ Ukraine’s acting interior minister Arsen Avakov told the press. “On the territory of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk it has become critically impossible to exercise government functions of financial support of the population,“ he said, adding that these payments will be accumulated until there is a possibility to transfer them to the population. Meanwhile, a representative of Kramatorsk's anti-crisis committee told Itar-Tass that in such a case, the city would be able to resume social payments within two or three weeks, and that all the necessary arrangements have already been discussed with the pension fund and insurance companies.

15:33 GMT:
Switzerland has added 13 more people to the list of individuals who are facing sanctions in connection with Russia’s position on Ukraine, reports Itar-Tass, citing the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs. The blacklist is aimed at preventing individuals from “circumventing international sanctions,” and is similar to that introduced by the European Union last week.

Among those who were added to the list on Monday is the deputy head of the presidential administration, Vyacheslav Volodin, the commander of Russian airborne troops, Vladimir Shamanov, Crimean Prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya and her Sevastopol counterpart Igor Shevchenko. Six pro-autonomy activists in eastern Ukraine are also subject to sanctions.

15:11 GMT:
The parliament of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) banned preparations for the Ukrainian presidential election, set to take place on May 25. All the election commissions will be closed as “their activity is illegal on the territory of the LPR,” said Interfax, citing the parliamentary decision.

15:07 GMT:
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry is investigating four possible reasons for the deadly clashes in Odessa on May 2, according to the head of the ministry’s investigation department, Vitaly Sakal, who said the case could go to court in a month.

“There are four versions of what happened: first, an attempt by extremist groups to destabilize the situation in the country; second, illegal actions by local authorities and law enforcers with the purpose of discrediting the country’s government; third, uncontrolled actions by fans of the Chernomorets and the Metallist football clubs together with pro-Russian activists, accompanied by the passivity of authorities and the police; fourth, provocation by radical forces,” Sakal said.

The official also said 32 people died in the House of Trade Unions on May 2, after they inhaled chloroform vapors. Traces of the substance have, according to Sakal, been found in soot and litter at the House of Trade Unions.


15:06 GMT:
The self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Lugansk has applied to the UN for recognition of “the sovereignty and independence of our state,” reads the statement published on the website of the United Army of the South-East.

However, the UN has not confirmed that it has received Lugansk’s appeal.

“No, I can’t confirm that we received such an appeal,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Secretry-General Ban Ki-moon, told Itar-Tass.

Tuesday, May 20
19:01 GMT:
The National Guard shelled a self-defense check point on the Kharkov-Donetsk road near the Semenovka settlement in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Itar-tass reported. Several taxi cabs have been damaged. A shop near the scene caught fire. No civilian casualties were reported. Russian TV channel Ren-TV crew headed by Pavel Obuhov witnessed the scene.

16:39 GMT:
Self-defense forces arrived in downtown Donetsk Tuesday, occupying a central square without a struggle. Men armed with AK-74 assault rifles and an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) were seen, though traffic was unaffected.

16:03 GMT:
The head of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk has announced the nationalization of enterprises belonging to “oligarchs” in the region.

15:54 GMT:
The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) claims that two journalists for Russian TV channel LifeNews who were detained Sunday by the Ukrainian National Guard concealed the real goal of their visit to the country, reports UNIAN agency.

Oleg Sidyakin and Marat Saichenko “confessed” to investigators that they were planning to go to Slavyansk, in the Donetsk Region, to “accompany terrorists” and “cover” their activities, the head of the SBU press service, Marina Ostapenko, told a media briefing in Kiev. She also stated that the two “came to Ukraine without [journalist] ID cards” and told border guards that they were going to attend a concert in Ukraine.

LifeNews Director-General Ashot Gabrelyanov said the channel is not going to “fall for provocations and comment on speculations.”

“Unless our lawyers and international observers are allowed to visit LifeNews journalists Marat Saichenko and Oleg Sidyakin, we cannot take the SBU’s words seriously,” he said.

15:00 GMT:
Ukrainian troops deployed in the country’s east should immediately return to their bases, the country’s parliament said in a memorandum. The freshly-adopted document also urges constitutional reforms based on the decentralization of Kiev’s power.

10:38 GMT:
Ten thousand people have been displaced in Ukraine amid the crisis, the UN said.

Crimean Tatars were the hardest-hit community, the UN refugee agency also stated.

"Displacement in Ukraine started before the March referendum in Crimea and has been rising gradually since," the UNHCR said, as quoted by Reuters.

"Most of those displaced are ethnic Tatars, although local authorities have also reported a recent rise in registrations of ethnic Ukrainians, Russians and mixed families," it added.

Right Sector torches the house of Oleg Tsarev. Source.

Oleg Tsarev being the presidential candidate representing eastern regions who has been assaulted by radicals several times on camera and had a million dollar bounty placed on his head by the oligarch Kolomoisky.

More Ukrainian army vs Ukrainian army assaults. This time Hinds assaulted an outpost held by a mechanized division.

More on the events in my previous post. Source.

RT is now reporting what rebels and other witnesses claim: that radicals were driven in by buses owned by the oligarch Kolomoisky, coup-appointed governor of Donetsk, and provided with air support by Hinds. They attacked Ukrainian army soldiers who refused to assault a nearby town.

Absolutely amazing. Where are the ATS junta-lovers now?

This source claims civilians found a mass grave with bodies of executed Ukrainian soldiers that the junta declared as deserters.