From our newsroom:
European Union leaders have asked their foreign ministers to consider an appropriate response to an escalation of fighting in eastern Ukraine, including possible new sanctions against Russia, when the ministers meet in Brussels on January 29.
In a rare joint statement, EU leaders noted "evidence of continued and growing support given to the separatists by Russia" and said that support "underlines Russia’s responsibility."
The statement also urged Russia to condemn separatists' actions and to implement the September 2014 Minsk agreements, which include a cease-fire deal.
The EU leaders also condemned the killing of 30 civilians on January 24 through "the indiscriminate shelling of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol."
The United Nations said rockets fired from separatist-controlled territory into a residential neighborhood of Mariupol deliberately targeted civilians in an attack that violated international humanitarian law.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian military spokesman said on January 27 that nine government soldiers were killed and 29 wounded by fighting in eastern Ukraine during the previous 24 hours.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP
There are fresh accusations -- and possible evidence -- that pro-Russian forces are executing captured Ukrainian soldiers. Here are two of the most compelling summaries of what we know so far about the appearance of videos and other images that show dead and captive pro-Kyiv troops, possibly in an area recently taken by pro-Russian forces.
Warning: BOTH OF THESE LINKS ARE EXTREMELY GRAPHIC, WITH DISTURBING VIDEO AND STILL IMAGES!
Ukraine@War blog tried to make the case on Sunday that "Russians execute Ukrainian POWs south of Krasnyi Partizan."
And The Interpreter has followed up, including this conclusion:
"While that is always possible, we do not believe that the available evidence in the dialogue, the behavior of the prisoners, and the setting, proves that those who have died were executed."
UN Political Affairs Chief Jeffrey Feltman and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power speaking yesterday at the United Nations in New York, via Reuters:
Feltman: "Mariupol lies outside of the immediate conflict zone. The conclusion can thus be drawn that the entity which fired these rockets knowingly targeted a civilian population. This would constitute a violation of international humanitarian law. We must send an unequivocal message. The perpetrators must be held accountable and brought to justice."
Power: "Unfortunately we are back here today because Russia and the separatists have once again flouted these commitments. The targets are fresh ones, but Russia's end goal remains the same: to seize more territory and move the line of Russian-controlled territory deeper and deeper into Ukraine."