Latest from our news desk:
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told U.S. President Barack Obama that Western sanctions against his country are "counterproductive."
The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations, the crisis in Ukraine, and U.S. charges that Russia is violating a key nuclear arms treaty during an August 1 telephone conversation.
Obama repeated his "deep concerns" about Russian support for separatist militants in eastern Ukraine.
The two leaders agreed to keep channels of communication open, saying the current situation is not in the interests of either country.
Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and told him the United States will provide $8 million in new assistance to bolster Ukraine's border security. (AP, Reuters, and ITAR-TASS)
According to the BBC, the Ukrainian Security Service is publishing Stalin-era documents that its sister agency in Moscow is calling "top secret." Read more here.
RFE/RL takes a look at some of the groups supplying equipment, weapons, and volunteer fighters to both sides of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Read: Supplying The Front Lines In Eastern Ukraine
Here is today's map of the military situation in eastern Ukraine from the National Security and Defense Council:
From our news desk:
A member of the upper chamber of the Russian parliament was killed when he was struck by a boat while swimming in the Ukrainian region of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March.
Federation Council member Vladimir Kulakov, who represented Magadan Oblast, was killed on August 1 while vacationing near Alushta.
The pilot of the boat has been detained and an Interior Ministry official said the incident was caused by "carelessness." A criminal case has been opened.
Kulakov was appointed to the Federation Council in 2000. Before that, he was a first deputy to the Russian government's representative in Chechnya.
He was awarded numerous state honors for state and military service. (RIA Novosti and "Nezavisimaya gazeta")
Talk about keeping your options open...