09:43
26.5.2014
A reported raid by separatist gunmen has suspended flights in and out of the main airport in Ukraine's eastern city of Donetsk.
A spokesman for the airport said it halted operations at 7:00 a.m. Kyiv time today after a group of armed men demanded that soldiers guarding the perimeter of the airport be withdrawn.
A Reuters reporter says Ukrainian police have blocked the road to the airport.
A spokesman for the airport said it halted operations at 7:00 a.m. Kyiv time today after a group of armed men demanded that soldiers guarding the perimeter of the airport be withdrawn.
A Reuters reporter says Ukrainian police have blocked the road to the airport.
08:36
26.5.2014
One of the two Russian LifeNews reporters handed over by Ukrainian authorities, Oleg Sidyakin, suggested that there were "mercenaries" and Westerners among those they observed working with Ukrainian forces at Kramatorsk. Westerners just act "strange," it seems. According to Interfax:
Sidyakin said they saw mercenaries at the Kramatorsk airport.
"There were lots of mercenaries at the airport. There were also people wearing uniforms, which were not typical of Ukraine, they did not talk to anyone but silently went to the headquarters. We are still wondering who they are," Sidyakin told reporters.
He noted they did not hear anyone speak English.
"But we saw people equipped as if they belonged to the Western forces. The behavior of those people was strange, same as their manners and the fact they did not speak to anyone," he said.
"There were lots of mercenaries at the airport. There were also people wearing uniforms, which were not typical of Ukraine, they did not talk to anyone but silently went to the headquarters. We are still wondering who they are," Sidyakin told reporters.
He noted they did not hear anyone speak English.
"But we saw people equipped as if they belonged to the Western forces. The behavior of those people was strange, same as their manners and the fact they did not speak to anyone," he said.
08:29
26.5.2014
Kadyrov boasts of his personal involvement in the "Izvestia" interview but also notes the "huge role" of President Vladimir Putin.
08:17
26.5.2014
A reminder that while he said his first priority was to "end war and bring peace" and that his first trip would be to Ukraine's heavily pro-Russian east, Poroshenko insisted his country would "never recognize" the Crimean referendum or the "occupation of Crimea."
08:14
26.5.2014
According to the latest official preliminary results, with nearly one-quarter of the votes counted, Petro Poroshenko is at 54.1 percent and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko at 13.1 percent.
08:13
26.5.2014
Interfax quotes "the press service of the unrecognized Donetsk People's Republic" as telling them that the breakaway Ukrainian group has declared martial law there.
The announcement appears to follow a statement by Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema suggesting that a Ukrainian military "counterterrorist" operation in eastern Ukraine was about to resume.
"Martial law was put into place in the Donetsk People's Republic at 12:00 a.m. on May 26. The main task is to clear the Donetsk People's Republic's territory from the hostile Ukrainian forces," the press service said.
Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema said several hours ago that the army operation in eastern Ukraine would resume shortly.
Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema said several hours ago that the army operation in eastern Ukraine would resume shortly.
The announcement appears to follow a statement by Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema suggesting that a Ukrainian military "counterterrorist" operation in eastern Ukraine was about to resume.
22:39
25.5.2014
Barring any major developments, this concludes out live blogging for today. Join us again tomorrow.
22:34
25.5.2014
22:34
25.5.2014
The far right takes one percent in Ukraine's election. And in Europe?
22:29
25.5.2014