Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (click to enlarge):
European Parliament urges Russia to release "illegally, arbitrarily" detained Ukrainians:
By Rikard Jozwiak
BRUSSELS -- The European Parliament has overwhelmingly voted to pass a resolution calling on Russian authorities to immediately release and return "all illegally and arbitrarily detained Ukrainian citizens" held in Russia and in areas of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia-backed separatists.
The nonbinding resolution passed on July 18 and was backed by all major political groups in the chamber.
The resolution also specifically called for release of peaceful demonstrators who were detained at Moscow's Red Square on July 10 and the 24 Ukrainian sailors detained by Russian forces along with their three naval vessels in November 2018 near the Kerch Strait.
The resolution by the newly elected European Parliament calls on Russia to "publish a full list of prisoners held in occupied Ukrainian territories in Donbas and Luhansk and facilitate their contact with families and lawyers."
It adds: "Russian courts, whether military or civilian, are not entitled to judge acts committed outside the internationally recognized territory of Russia, and points out that judicial proceedings in such cases cannot be regarded as legitimate."
There is also a proposal in the resolution that the European Union should establish "a permanent monitoring of the trials of victims of political persecution in the Russian Federation and the occupied Crimea."
The proposal calls on EU member states to organize "missions involving independent physicians" to monitor the detention conditions and state of health of "Ukrainian citizens who are detained by political motivation."
Sanctions on individuals "responsible for detention and trial of the political prisoners" should also be considered, it said.