19:48
6.5.2014
Some news concerning Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov:
One of #Akhmetov's companies announces it is increasing salaries for its workers. Timely
— Will Vernon (@BBCWillVernon) May 6, 2014
20:06
6.5.2014
#Donetsk airport is back open for business as MAY flight PS0047 lands from Kiev. pic.twitter.com/NVWtF5DZFW
— Ed Brown (@edmunddbrown) May 6, 2014
20:25
6.5.2014
#Belarus celebrates Victory Day strictly w/o St. George ribbons - only green-red ones (like official flag). Hmm... pic.twitter.com/KgJcrayGU9
— Natalia Melnychuk (@pravolivo) May 6, 2014
21:04
6.5.2014
According to @Sergey_Osadchiy there's fighting in Mariupol, locals say Ukrainian troops storm separatist positions pic.twitter.com/SrJUwH14xv
— Nikolaus von Twickel (@niktwick) May 6, 2014
22:25
6.5.2014
Barring any dramatic developments, we are closing our live blog for today. Before we go, we will leave you with the U.S. State Department's latest comments on the Ukraine crisis (from RFE/RL's news desk)
The United States has denounced what it called "bogus" plans by pro-Russia separatist groups in eastern Ukraine to conduct referendums on self-determination.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said "This is the Crimea play-book all over again," alluding to the referendum held in Crimea last March in which voters were asked whether to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.
Psaki said, "No civilized nation will recognize the results" of the referendums in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions that pro-Russian separatist leaders controlling those two regions say will be held on May 11.
Psaki also warned that "if Russia takes the next step" and moves into eastern Ukraine and tries to annex it, "harsh EU and U.S. sanctions will follow."
The United States has denounced what it called "bogus" plans by pro-Russia separatist groups in eastern Ukraine to conduct referendums on self-determination.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said "This is the Crimea play-book all over again," alluding to the referendum held in Crimea last March in which voters were asked whether to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.
Psaki said, "No civilized nation will recognize the results" of the referendums in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions that pro-Russian separatist leaders controlling those two regions say will be held on May 11.
Psaki also warned that "if Russia takes the next step" and moves into eastern Ukraine and tries to annex it, "harsh EU and U.S. sanctions will follow."
08:08
7.5.2014
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets today in Moscow with Swiss President Didier Burkhalter -- the current chairman-in-office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). After a Russian envoy intervened for the release of the OSCE monitors being held by eastern Ukrainian separatists, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed in a telephone conversation that the OSCE should play a bigger role in the effort to de-escalate Ukraine’s crisis.
09:04
7.5.2014
Pro-Kyiv military analyst Dmitry Tymchuk writes on Facebook this morning that Ukrainian forces have thwarted an attempt by "a group of terrorists" to break out of the military cordon around the town of Slovyansk, our Ukrainian Service reports.
Here's Tymchuk's post (in Ukrainian):
Here's Tymchuk's post (in Ukrainian):
09:09
7.5.2014
A report in Russia's "Komsomolskaya pravda" notes that bus fares have been raised in Crimea.
09:23
7.5.2014
First edition of the official newspaper of the People's Republic of Donetsk pic.twitter.com/TGpmkBX4bs
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) May 7, 2014
09:37
7.5.2014
#Mariupol city council vacated from separatists this morning, #Ukraine's flag raised, barricades being dismantled pic.twitter.com/KC9g8xSfA2
— Natalia Melnychuk (@pravolivo) May 7, 2014