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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
18:45 28.5.2014
More reports of gathering of Ukrainian forces in east:
17:55 28.5.2014
From our news desk:
French President Francois Hollande has invited Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko to attend D-Day commemorations in France next week.

Several world leaders are expected to attend the event.

Hollande has already invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the ceremony and Putin has accepted.

The D-Day ceremony will be held on June 6, marking the 70th anniversary of the allied landings at Normandy during World War II. (Reuters and AFP)
17:15 28.5.2014
Remember those Russian LifeNews journalists who were detained in Ukraine a week or so ago? Well, it seems they are now being honored back home for their valor (from RFE/RL's news desk):

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree for the "Order of Courage" to be given to a reporter from the Russia Today television channel who was wounded in Ukraine and two journalists from LifeNews who were detained in Ukraine.

The awards announced today will go to Fyodor Zavaleykov, who was wounded during shooting in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol on May 9, and to Oleg Sidyakin and Marat Saichenko who were detained near the eastern Ukrainian town of Kramatorsk on May 18.

All three journalists are now back in Russia.

Zavaleykov has undergone surgery twice since being wounded by a bullet.

Sidyakin and Saichenko were held on charges they were helping pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

They were freed on May 25 and flew to Chechnya.
16:48 28.5.2014
16:38 28.5.2014
Here some more details from our news desk regarding the release of the Polish priest:
Poland's Foreign Ministry says that a Polish Catholic priest who was abducted in Ukraine's eastern city of Donetsk has been released.

The priest, Pawel Witek, was reported missing yesterday.

Marcin Wojciechowski, a spokesman for Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, said today on Twitter that the priest was "free, safe and sound" and under Polish diplomats' care.

Poland's consul-general in Donetsk worked to obtain his release.

No more details were immediately available.

Polish and Ukrainian media reports earlier said that the priest was believed to be at the Ukrainian SBU state security service building, which is occupied by the separatists in Donetsk.
15:32 28.5.2014
15:03 28.5.2014
14:31 28.5.2014
14:24 28.5.2014
14:16 28.5.2014
According to this tweet from a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman, the priest who was reported abducted in Donetsk has been found safe and well:

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