LATEST from our news desk, via our Moldovan Service:
Pro-Russian separatists in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester have reportedly put their security forces on alert because of what they say is a military threat from Ukraine and Moldova.
Transdniester's Tiras news agency said on August 7 that separatists expected unspecified military activity starting from August 26, the day before Moldova's independence day.
Moldovan authorities in response accused separatists of misinforming the public.
Tensions between Moldova and Transdniester have been on the rise since Moldova signed an Association Agreement in June with the European Union despite Russian opposition.
Moldova has asked Russia to withdraw its 1,500 troops stationed in Transdniester.
Ukraine has dug a ditch along the border with the separatist region fearing Russian troops stationed there may invade.
Transdniester declared independence from Moldova in 1990. The two sides fought a brief war in 1992 that ended when the Russian military intervened on the side of Transdniester. (With additional reporting by AP)
The Ukrainian Security Service now says the pro-Russian separatists shot down MH17 by mistake. They actually meant to shoot down a Russian plane, so that Moscow would have an excuse to invade....
CORRECTION: Vesti (Rossiya 24) says Aleksandr Borodai is standing down and will be replaced by Aleksandr Zakharchenko of Oplot
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) August 7, 2014
Borodai hasn't confirmed he's leaving himself. But he's giving a press conference later today
— Gabriel Gatehouse (@ggatehouse) August 7, 2014
Russia's ban on food import in one picture. pic.twitter.com/6DVMQYcEz1
— Yulia Bragina (@YuliaSkyNews) August 7, 2014
A cartoon by RFE/RL's Russian Service on Moscow's food embargo has already been getting some Twitter traction.
Художник Ёлкин. Сами ешьте свою колбасу! #КартинаМаслом pic.twitter.com/5k70ht2ZC4
— Elena Mikhailova (@ElenaMikhailova) August 7, 2014
The goal of Putin's 'anti-sanctions'? Markov lists 6. My favorite: 'to show that Russia does not give up.' https://t.co/jjw6OQ8fVo
— Nina Ivanovna (@ninaivanovna) August 7, 2014
Here are some more details from our news desk on Andriy Parubiy's resignation:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's office says he has accepted the resignation of National Security and Defense Council chief Andriy Parubiy.
Presidential spokesman Svyatoslav Tsegolko wrote on his Twitter page that "Parubiy will stay in the presidential team." Poroshenko thanked the National Security and Defense Council chief for his work."
Parubiy wrote on his Facebook page earlier on August 7 that he had submitted his resignation.
Parubiy did not give a reason for his resignation.
He wrote, "I consider it unacceptable to comment on the resignation during the war. I continue to deal with the issues of providing assistance to the front, primarily to volunteer battalions."
Parubiy had held the post of Ukraine's security chief from February 27.
Ukrainian forces are currently engaged in an offensive against pro-Russian rebels in the country's east.
(ITAR-TASS, Interfax)