Interfax notes that the Russian Foreign Ministry demands that the perpetrators of the vandalism in Bulgaria -- splashing red paint on a monument in Sofia's Lozenets to Soviet soldiers -- be punished for their "outrageous act of vandalism."
"A note of protest" was "sent to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry immediately," the agency quotes the ministry as saying.
The frequency of fresh sightings of heavily armed military columns snaking through eastern Ukraine, possibly of Russian origin, invites skepticism at the most optimistic pro-Kyiv analyses.
But here's an interesting Reuters piece on "Ukraine Rebel Movement Faces Uncertain Future." An excerpt:
A recording of separatist leaders released by Ukraine's state security service suggested more Russian citizens fighting in Ukraine were looking to leave. A rebel fighter told Reuters the insurgency was in a critical phase.
"Everything is coming to a head," he said.
Much about the circumstances of Borodai and Strelkov’s departures is unknown, and it is difficult to tell yet whether they mark a change of tactics or a winding down of Russian support.
Rebel website Novorossiya reported 1,000 fighters, more than 100 armoured vehicles and new weapons supplies had been promised in return for Strelkov’s resignation. It did not say which entity or individual had made this promise.
The flag was down a while ago. Here's the repainting work going on...back to wheat-colored.
The National Security and Defense Council says Ukrainian authorities have "not yet received documentation on the content of Russian humanitarian aid" sitting in those 270-odd trucks waiting at the border.
Zhenya O for our Ukrainian Service on the news that Poroshenko and Putin are both expected to attend a bilateral meeting in Minsk on August 26:
Today's situation map from the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council:
Liveuamap also has a situation map that is very detailed, by the way:
An absolutely fascinating glimpse inside a top negotiator's efforts to free captives in this conflict (in Ukrainian Russian).