Here is today's situation map of eastern Ukraine by the National Security and Defense Council:
A little football from RFE/RL's News Desk to break up the grimness:
Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk beat Belarus's Bate Borisov 7-0 in an away game in the Champions League's Group H on October 21.
Shakhtar's Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano equalled Barcelona's Lionel Messi as the only players to hit five goals in a Champions League game.
Shakhtar's 6-0 halftime lead also set a new record for Europe's elite club competition.
The Ukrainians are now second in the group on five points.
Shakhtar's win comes a day after the team's Donbas Arena stadium suffered serious blast damage from shelling October 20 despite a cease-fire agreed between the Ukraine government and Russian-backed separatists.
The modern, 52,000-seat venue hosted five matches at Euro 2012 and regular Champions League games.
Shakhtar have moved their headquarters from war-torn Donetsk to Kyiv, with home games being played in the western city of Lviv.
Great read by Sabra Ayres in the "New Republic" titled "I Was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine 20 Years Ago. Now I'm a War Reporter There. Here's What's Changed." Here's a brief excerpt:
I’ve fallen out with a family I called my own during my two years as a volunteer. Back then, they took me in, watched over me and taught me to speak Russian. The last time I saw them, conversations about the conflict became too tense. I got tired of trying to prove to them that the Russian propaganda was wrong. They stopped listening, and I stopped coming around to visit.
On the other hand, Ukrainian friends who never expressed much interest in their country are now motivated by a growing patriotism born out of what they consider to be Russia’s direct involvement in the eastern rebellion and the annexation of Crimea. Blue and yellow flags are everywhere, and it’s an odd day when you don’t hear the national anthem, “Ukraine Is Not Yet Dead,” at least once in Kiev.
Read the full article here.