Interfax quotes a Russian government decree as calling for a "fast-track process" to assess Ukrainian refugees' applications for asylum in that country.
AFP reports: The Netherlands has declared Wednesday a national day of mourning for the 193 Dutch victims of the flight MH17 crash, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a statement.
Our newsroom summary of where the escalating war of words between NATO and Russia stands:
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of NATO forces strengthening positions closer to Russia's border.
Putin -- speaking at a July 22 session of the Russian Security Council in Moscow -- said Russia needs to react "appropriately and proportionately" to NATO's moves but he added he currently sees no direct threat to Russia's sovereignty or territorial integrity.
But Putin used the example of the NATO missile-defense system being deployed in Europe saying the defensive system "is nothing of the kind but an offensive" system.
Putin recommended boosting Russia's defense potential, "including in Crimea and Sevastopol, where we have to build a military structure practically from scratch."
The Russian president also obliquely criticized the NATO alliance saying, "A country, which is part of an alliance, gives away a share of its sovereignty by joining [an alliance] and it does not always reflect the national interests of a given country."
He also called for taking steps to decrease the dependency of Russia's national economy and financial system on "unfavorable external factors."
Putin called on Western governments that have good relations with the Ukrainian government to use their influence to convince Kyiv to halt its military operation in eastern Ukraine.
He said Russia would use its influence with separatists in eastern Ukraine to allow a full investigation of the July 17 downing of a Malaysian airliner.
He also urged his country's Security Council to "finally call on the Kyiv authorities to observe elementary norms of decency and to cease fire at least for a short period of an investigation [into the causes of the downing of the Malaysian airliner]."
Putin also spoke about so-called "color revolutions," saying Russian citizens would never accept political activities that aimed to oust the government and were sponsored and directed from outside the country.
But he also urged Russia's civil society to be observant in preventing violations of human rights and freedoms and manifestations of extremism and radicalism.
Putin did not elaborate on that point.
Based on reporting by ITAR-TASS and Interfax
Re-upping in case you missed it.
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry says it has opened criminal proceedings against Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev for "aiding terrorists," it says in reference to alleged ties to Ukrainian separatist groups.
The ministry's website says Shoigu is being investigated for organizing illegal armed groups in eastern Ukraine that are responsible for attacks on Ukrainian authorities and seizures of government buildings, for killing of people and for other serious crimes.
Malofeev is being investigated for his role in financing those groups.