10:58
19.6.2014
Reuters on this morning's fighting in Krasnyi Lyman:
Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists were locked in fierce fighting in the east of Ukraine on Thursday after rebels rejected a call to lay down their arms in line with a peace plan proposed by President Petro Poroshenko, government forces said.
Heavy fighting broke out at around 4 a.m. near the town of Krasny Liman, which itself has been under government control since early this month.
"We issued an ultimatum to the terrorists overnight to surrender their weapons. We guarantee their safety and investigation in line with Ukrainian law ... They refused," said government forces spokesman Vladyslav Seleznyov.
"Now we are trying to narrow the encirclement. They are trying to break out," Seleznyov said.
Heavy fighting broke out at around 4 a.m. near the town of Krasny Liman, which itself has been under government control since early this month.
"We issued an ultimatum to the terrorists overnight to surrender their weapons. We guarantee their safety and investigation in line with Ukrainian law ... They refused," said government forces spokesman Vladyslav Seleznyov.
"Now we are trying to narrow the encirclement. They are trying to break out," Seleznyov said.
10:57
19.6.2014
The Ukrainian parliament, accepting President Petro Poroshenko's nomination, has approved First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaliy Yarema as prosecutor-general, Reuters reports.
10:53
19.6.2014
10:52
19.6.2014
10:47
19.6.2014
ITAR-TASS quotes Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev as saying the Russian government will disburse $7 million to Rostov region to help house refugees from Ukraine.
10:38
19.6.2014
10:37
19.6.2014
10:37
19.6.2014
10:36
19.6.2014
10:19
19.6.2014
In case you missed it last night, our newsroom picked this up from South Ossetia's RES new agency:
Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, itself almost wholly unrecognized as an independent state, has announced its recognition of the "Luhansk People's Republic" as a sovereign, independent country.
South Ossetia -- which is recognized as independent only by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru -- said its leader, Leonid Tibilov, signed a decree on June 18 following an appeal from the so-called Supreme Council of the Luhansk People's Republic.
Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk provinces seized local administrative buildings in April and proclaimed "people's republics."
Russia has not recognized the self-proclaimed entities.
South Ossetia and Georgia's other breakaway region, Abkhazia, were recognized as independent by Russia after the brief Russia-Georgia war in 2008.
South Ossetia -- which is recognized as independent only by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru -- said its leader, Leonid Tibilov, signed a decree on June 18 following an appeal from the so-called Supreme Council of the Luhansk People's Republic.
Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk provinces seized local administrative buildings in April and proclaimed "people's republics."
Russia has not recognized the self-proclaimed entities.
South Ossetia and Georgia's other breakaway region, Abkhazia, were recognized as independent by Russia after the brief Russia-Georgia war in 2008.