Ukraine says it has prevented a Russian attempt to send troops across the border under the guise of a humanitarian mission, AFP and UNIAN report.
Recall that yesterday the U.S. Ambassador to the UN warned that "any further unilateral intervention by Russia into Ukrainian territory...would be viewed as an invasion of Ukraine."
The British foreign secretary Philip Hammond "strongly" urged Russia to avoid any "provocative actions."
Valeriy Chaliy, deputy head of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's office, said late last night: "A huge convoy moved towards the Ukrainian border, accompanied by Russian troops and military hardware."
Chaliy said the move was averted through diplomatic channels, without going into details.
He added that the Red Cross denied that Russia had coordinated this alleged humanitarian column with them.
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service is broadcasting live from downtown Kyiv, where authorities (joined by the mayor, Vitali Klitschko) are dismantling the protest barricades in a continuation of an operation begun on Thursday:
A brief overnight wrap-up from our newsroom:
The U.S. and British governments have warned Russia against any further intervention in Ukraine, including under the pretext of delivering humanitarian assistance.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting in New York on August 9, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said that any such intervention would be "completely unacceptable and "viewed as an invasion of Ukraine."
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond “strongly” urged Moscow to avoid any provocative actions."
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said it has finished military exercises in southern Russia which the United States has criticized as a "provocative" step amid the Ukraine crisis.
NATO says Russia has massed 20,000 troops near the border with Ukraine, where government troops are fighting pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country.
That concludes our live blogging for Friday, August 8.
Ukrainian military jet flying very low, purportedly near the eastern border with Russia (via @LeonidRagozin and @InfoResist).