On the ambush and assassination this morning of Kremenchuk Mayor Oleh Babayev:
In reference to the Kremenchuk mayor's slaying and the shelling of the home of Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy:
In a commentary on its official website, the Russian Foreign Ministry accuses the U.S. administration of organizing a "relentless campaign of slander against Russia" fed by "outright lies." It vows that "we will survive this," but adds that Washington and Kyiv are contributing to the "forced suppression of discontent on the part of [Ukraine's] Russian-speaking population."
It goes on to say "the Obama administration bears responsibilities for the internal conflict in Ukraine and its severe consequences."
Dutch and Australian police and security forces are still preparing for deployment to the MH17 impact area, where blasts are still ringing out from fighting dozens of kilometers away despite a cease-fire called for the immediate area.
All of the remains of MH17 victims that had been transported to Kharkiv have now departed, says AP:
Two cargo planes have flown 38 more coffins carrying victims of the Malaysia Airlines disaster out of eastern Ukraine to a forensic center in the Netherlands for identification and investigation.
The planes took off Saturday from Kharkiv, a government-controlled city where the bodies have been brought from the crash site in territory held by pro-Russian separatists fighting the Ukrainian government. U.S. and Ukrainian officials say the plane was shot down by a missile from rebel territory, likely by mistake.
Officials said the flights took the last of the victims that have been brought to Kharkiv. International observers have said there are still remains at the crash site. Access has been limited due to rebel interference and security concerns.
Re-upping this @CoalsonR piece aimed at getting to the bottom of some of the claims and counterclaims surrounding MH17.
Untangling the countless he said/she said disputes in the Ukraine crisis under conditions of an intense and coordinated disinformation campaign is hard enough. But it is even harder in the Internet age when information appears and disappears and reappears with the frustrating randomness of whack-a-mole.