Russian motorcycle gang gets Crimean gift, the Crimean Desk of our Ukrainian Service reports:
A Russian nationalist biker gang has been awarded a free plot of the land taken from Ukraine.
According to a document seen by RFE/RL, the Night Wolves were given land in the Crimean peninsula city of Sevastopol to build a "multipurpose patriotic center for extreme sports."
The document, which bore the official city seal, gave no reason why the land was being gifted.
Russian authorities in Sevastopol have given the bikers six months to draw up plans for their center, and promised that there will be public hearings on the planned construction.
The land in question in the Black Sea port city has a high market value, with a square meter going for 96,000 rubles ($1,960), according to a reporter with the Crimean Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.
The Night Wolves are backers of Russian President Vladimir Putin -- who has ridden with them -- and supported Russia's controversial annexation of Crimea in March 2014.
The Night Wolves are subject to U.S. sanctions for alleged active involvement in Crimea and for helping recruit separatist fighters for Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine.
The biker gang sparked controversy in Europe earlier this month when it set off from Moscow to Berlin to mark the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
EU officials criticized the planned journey and Poland denied them entry, reflecting strains over Russia's role in the Ukraine conflict.
Eventually, some members did make it to the German capital, where they marked the May 9 Russian celebrations by laying flowers at the Soviet War Memorial in Treptow, in formerly communist east Berlin.
NATO, Ukraine urge Russia to stop destabilizing east:
NATO and Ukraine are calling on Russia to stop its "continued and deliberate destabilization" of eastern Ukraine.
In a joint statement issued after meeting in Turkey on May 13, NATO and Ukraine's foreign ministers condemn Russia's "ongoing and wide-ranging military build-up in Crimea," which was annexed by Moscow in March 2014.
They also express concerns about Russia's efforts to build-up its military presence in the Black Sea region.
"This could have further implications on regional stability," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a press conference.
More than 6,000 people have been killed since fighting began in April 2014 between government forces and separatists in eastern Ukraine, which continues to be embroiled in sporadic violence despite a cease-fire sealed in February.
Kyiv and the West accuse Russia of arming rebels and sending troops in eastern Ukraine, charges Moscow denies. (w/ Reuters)
This ends our live blogging for May 13. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our continuing coverage.
Seems to be more debunking of Kremlin claims that separatists using stolen Ukrainian military hardware, as opposed to being supplied by Moscow: