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A woman carries a baby as she passes destroyed houses following what locals say was overnight shelling by Ukrainian forces in the eastern town of Slovyansk on June 9.
A woman carries a baby as she passes destroyed houses following what locals say was overnight shelling by Ukrainian forces in the eastern town of Slovyansk on June 9.

Live Blog: Crisis In Ukraine (Archive)

Summary for June 9

-- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry says that Moscow and Kyiv have reached a "mutual understanding" on key parts of a plan proposed by President Petro Poroshenko for ending violence in separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine.

-- Reports say up to 20 armed gunmen were trying to seize property from a factory (Topaz) that makes communications and electronic-warfare equipment in the Donetsk region.

-- A deputy foreign minister says Russia will consider any expansion of NATO forces near its borders a "demonstration of hostile intentions" and "take the necessary political and military-technological measures to support our security."

-- A two-man crew for Russian Zvezda TV arrived in Moscow after being released from detention in Ukraine.

-- Serbian officials say their own work on the Russian-backed South Stream gas pipeline will have to be suspended after Bulgaria stopped construction of its portion based on EU and U.S. concerns.

-- Ukrainian security forces are reportedly still battling pro-Russian separatists in the east near Slovyansk and Donetsk.

*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Kyiv
12:33 28.5.2014
12:26 28.5.2014
12:22 28.5.2014
Some more Donetsk developments from our news desk:
A Polish Catholic priest has reportedly been abducted by pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters that Polish consular services are working to secure his release. He gave no further details on the case.

Polish media named the priest as Father Pawel Witek and said was seized yesterday by separatist rebels.

Polish and Ukrainian media said the priest is believed to be at the Ukrainian SBU state security service building, which is occupied by the separatists in Donetsk.

Poland has been one of the staunchest supporters of the new pro-Western government in Ukraine.

A four-member team of monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe went missing in the Donetsk area on May 26.
12:16 28.5.2014
12:12 28.5.2014
12:00 28.5.2014
11:59 28.5.2014
11:58 28.5.2014
I'm sure there are many who'd love to be a fly on the wall at this meeting (from RFE/RL's news desk):
A close aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin says Putin will discuss the crisis in Ukraine at talks with French President Francois Hollande in Paris on June 5.

Putin will meet Hollande on the eve of events to mark a World War II anniversary.

It would be Putin's first meeting with the leader of a major Western power after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in March.

Yuri Ushakov also said that what he described as the Ukrainian government's "provocative" military actions in eastern Ukraine push the crisis further into deadlock.

Meanwhile, the Reuters news agency quotes a NATO military officer as saying that Russia has withdrawn thousands of troops from areas near the Ukrainian border but that tens of thousands remain.

NATO previously estimated that Russia had amassed 40,000 troops on Ukraine's border.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Germany's "Bild" daily, Petro Poroshenko, who won Ukraine's presidential election, says "a real war is being waged" against Ukraine. "We will end this terror," he said.
11:42 28.5.2014
Here's some footage of the battle at Donetsk airport on May 26 from our sister network VOA:
Ukrainian Government Forces Fight Rebels At Donetsk Airport
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