The Ukrainian military says that fighting between government troops and Russia-backed separatists has intensified in eastern Ukraine.
Senior government official Andriy Lysenko said on May 28 that one soldier had been killed in recent fighting.
Russia-backed fighters have accused the army of carrying out dozens of attacks in recent days as both sides charge each other with not observing a ceasefire.
The uptick in violence saw a patrol from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission shot at in the Donetsk region on May 27.
The mission's chief monitor, Ertugrul Apakan, condemned the attack, in which nobody was injured.
Amid the increased violence, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called for greater foreign assistance and has appointed former NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen as his adviser.
Rasmussen said on May 28 on Facebook that he will do his “utmost to promote security, economic reforms, and stronger EU ties” in his new capacity.
Poroshenko has not specified on what issues Rasmussen will be advising.
Rasmussen described the “security situation” in eastern Ukraine as “alarming.” He also said Ukraine must fight corruption and implement reforms.
Russian Duma member Leonid Kalashnikov, deputy chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told Interfax that Rasmussen’s appointment was “a hostile gesture” toward Russia.
“It shows that Ukraine has chosen the West and NATO as the vector of its drifting movement,” he said, describing Ukraine as “a beachhead against Russia” that “will be used sooner or later.”
Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the Federation Council’s International Relations Committee, said on Facebook that Rasmussen’s appointment, like many other Ukrainian moves, is “for show” because “Ukraine badly needs…attention from the outside.”
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Church, Entire Village 'Erased' In Azerbaijan's Recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh
2Russian Arrest Warrant Issued For Ex-Chess Champion Garry Kasparov
3Ukrainian Men Abroad Scramble In Wake Of Mobilization Crackdown
4Siberian Teens Get Prison Terms Over Anti-War Graffiti
5Why Is Viktor Orban Keeping The 100-Year-Old Treaty Of Trianon Alive?
6The Two Problems That Bulgaria Can't Solve
7Live Briefing: Russia Invades Ukraine
8On Genocide Remembrance Day, Armenians Told To 'Overcome Trauma' Of 1915 Mass Killings
9Exclusive: How A Secretive Uzbek Firm Linked To The President's Family Earned Millions On Sweetheart Deals
10Russia Launches 'Massive' Strikes, Hits Power Stations, Psychiatric Hospital
Subscribe