Here's what that's all about, courtesy of ITAR-TASS:
Russian lawmakers consider stripping country's rock star Andrei Makarevich of all state awards for his last week's performance in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass, which was organized by a pro-Kiev foundation.
The initiative to deprive the 60-year-old singer of the state awards and to introduce a draft law on stripping "of state wards people, who turned into traitors of their Fatherland," was proposed by Yevgeny Fyodorov, a lawmaker with the ruling United Russia political party.
Missed this earlier:
ITAR-TASS (and now Interfax) quote "Donetsk People's Republic" militants saying that a blackout caused by fighting between Ukrainian troops and separatists has trapped "about 30" miners underground at the Komsomolets-Donbassa mine.
You want to know what President Putin said on august 14th in Yalta, Crimea? Here you are (Kremlin translation) http://t.co/BMQx5fQrlp
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) August 18, 2014
Here's an update from RFE/RL's news desk concerning the deadly attack on a convoy carrying refugees:
A Ukrainian military spokesman says separatists fired missiles at a military convoy carrying refugees, killing many aboard, despite the trucks flying white flags.
Anatoly Proshin, spokesman for the North operational command, said the refugee convoy was hit by Grad missiles near the villages of Khyashchuvatye and Novosvitlivka in the Luhansk region on August 18.
Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said in Kyiv that "many people were killed, among them women and children."
There are no details yet on the number of fatalities.
A rebel spokesman has denied the reports of the attack.
Konstantin Knyrik told Russia's Interfax news agency, "Such claims are pure propaganda."
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says agreements have been reached with Ukraine and the International Red Cross that clear the way for Russian humanitarian shipments into eastern Ukraine.
( Reuters, AFP)
Many #Luhansk refugees were burned alive after Grad rockets fired at their convoy, @bbcrussian reports. Gov't & rebels blaming each other
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) August 18, 2014