-- Self-appointed leaders of the Ukrainian separatist region of Donetsk appealed to Russia to consider absorbing it to "restore historic justice" and to send in troops.
-- Pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk said they would not allow voting for the May 25 presidential election to be conducted.
-- Diplomats say the European Union agreed to impose sanctions against 13 additional individuals and two companies, believed to be the first time the EU has targeted companies over the Ukraine crisis.
-- Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov called the votes a "sham" and the United States said they were illegal and merely "an attempt to create further division and disorder in the country."
-- RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service said one of its affiliate radio stations in Donetsk was taken off the air by gunmen and replaced by a pro-Russian broadcaster.
-- The Kremlin said Ukrainian officials in Kyiv should hold talks with pro-Russian separatists on the results of the self-rule referendums, adding that it respected the "expression of the people's will."
A relative mourns Andriy Biryukov, a pro-Ukrainian supporter who died in the May 2 Odesa clashes.
A new report by the Warsaw-based Open Dialog Foundation says local police hold ultimate responsibility for the deaths of more than 46 people in clashes in Odesa last week.
ODF writes the police "not only failed to prevent the clashes, but in some cases acted on behalf of the [Russian] provocateurs."
A reminder that correspondent Robert Coalson's terrific photo gallery explains why the Crimean campaign means so much to Moscow.
Photo Gallery:
The Siege Of Sevastopol: Why The Crimean Campaign Means So Much To Moscow
The fierce fighting on the Crimean Peninsula -- and particularly around the strategic port city of Sevastopol -- is one of the most dramatic and impressive pages of the Soviet Union's struggle during World War II. The story highlights the courage and endurance of the Red Army and Soviet civilians. And the Crimean campaign was one of the only bright spots for the Soviet Union during the dark, desperate days of the first two years of the war. In May 1945, Soviet leader Josef Stalin named Sevastopol -- together with Leningrad, Stalingrad, and Odesa -- as the first four "hero cities" of the Soviet Union. Crimea was conquered by the Russian Empire in the 18th century. For most of the Soviet period, it was part of the Russian republic. However, in 1954, the Soviet government transferred it to the Ukrainian republic. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia and the international community agreed to retain Crimea within the borders of the newly independent Ukraine. In March, however, Russia annexed the peninsula following a hastily called referendum, provoking a major international crisis and sparking instability that has since spread to other parts of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend Victory Day celebrations in Sevastopol on May 9, which marks both the 69th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Sevastopol from German occupation. Pride in the Soviet achievements during World War II has played a major role in Moscow's bid to strengthen its influence in the former Soviet states. -- Robert Coalson
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Checking in on Dmitry Rogozin's Transdniester visit....
The evening of May 9. On the banks of the Dniester. Moldova's on the other side. Culture Minister [Vladimir] Medinsky and I are catching polite fish.
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OSCE Media Freedom Representative Dunja Mijatovic has released a statement denouncing the continuing deterioration of the media freedom situation in Ukraine, the OSCE said. In her May 9 statement, Mijatovic says he is "appalled by this hostile environment for media and again call on all parties to refrain from restrictive and violent practices against journalists."
Mijatovic's statement includes examples of violations against the media, including the disappearance in the Mariupol area of Nikolai Ryabchenko, "a journalist contributing to many local media outlets"; Sergei Garmash, editor of the Ostrov news portal, who was attacked and shot near Donetsk; incidents of armed, unidentified people stopping TV crews to inspect documents and seizing equipment; and more. "The attacks we are witnessing every day in Ukraine are nothing short of gross and severe violations of fundamental human rights," Mijatovic says.
Important to note that there's evidence of the bogus ads purporting to seek Chinese mercenaries to fight for pro-Russian forces in Ukraine, but no proof that Russia is behind them.
