The abducted pro-Kyivan mayor of Krasnyi Lyman, Leonid Perebyynis, and an aide have turned up in a Kyiv clinic, according to Perebyynis's daughter via Ukrinform. They are "in serious condition" but the details are still sketchy.
A Russian Foreign Ministry reaction to the stepped-up EU sanctions targeting Moscow's actions in Ukraine. Moscow says that the timing of the move, just as the contact group was reaching a cease-fire deal in Minsk, suggests that "the European Union has demonstrated that its leadership is still wandering in the political 'Looking Glass' and actually sends a signal of direct support for the 'party of war' in Kyiv that it is not satisfied with the results of the meeting in Minsk."
Resources would be better utilized on Donbas recovery, the Russian Foreign Ministry adds.
"As for the new list of sanctions by the EU, if they are accepted, a reaction from our side will of course follow," it concludes.
In case you missed the news last night:
EU Agrees Fresh Sanctions Against Russia
Via AP and dpa:
Malaysia plans to send investigators back to the crash site of a Malaysian passenger plane in eastern Ukraine.
Prime Minister Najib Razak said on September 6 that the team would gather physical evidence that would make it possible to bring to justice those responsible for shooting down the plane.
The Malaysia Airlines jet crashed on July 17 in an area in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists, apparently shot down by a missile. All 298 people on board were killed.
International investigators have retrieved the remains of many, but possibly not all of the victims.
Searches at the crash site were halted on August 6 because of continued fighting in the immediate area.
Dutch authorities who are coordinating investigations by several countries have said they would publish a preliminary report into the disaster on September 9.
Pro-Kyiv military blogger Dmitry Tymchuk says "Russian terrorist troops" broke the cease-fire virtually as soon as it went into effect at 6:00 p.m. last night, making several attempts overnight -- "using rocket launchers and flamethrowers" -- to attack Ukrainian troop positions at Donetsk airport.
Ukrainian troops, he says, "in full compliance with the terms of the armistice," only fired back to defend their positions.
President Poroshenko quoted as saying that Ukrainian "troops will remain in their positions."