A woman carries a baby as she passes destroyed houses following what locals say was overnight shelling by Ukrainian forces in the eastern town of Slovyansk on June 9.
-- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry says that Moscow and Kyiv have reached a "mutual understanding" on key parts of a plan proposed by President Petro Poroshenko for ending violence in separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine.
-- Reports say up to 20 armed gunmen were trying to seize property from a factory (Topaz) that makes communications and electronic-warfare equipment in the Donetsk region.
-- A deputy foreign minister says Russia will consider any expansion of NATO forces near its borders a "demonstration of hostile intentions" and "take the necessary political and military-technological measures to support our security."
-- A two-man crew for Russian Zvezda TV arrived in Moscow after being released from detention in Ukraine.
-- Serbian officials say their own work on the Russian-backed South Stream gas pipeline will have to be suspended after Bulgaria stopped construction of its portion based on EU and U.S. concerns.
-- Ukrainian security forces are reportedly still battling pro-Russian separatists in the east near Slovyansk and Donetsk.
*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Kyiv
Two Russian journalists held for a week after being detained by pro-government forces in eastern Ukraine have been released.
Oleg Sidyakin and Marat Saichenko were detained on May 18 near the eastern town of Kramatorsk.
The two journalists for website LifeNews were released early on May 25 and first flew to Chechnya's capital, Grozny, where they met with leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Speaking to reporters later in the day in Moscow, Sidyakin and Saichenko denied claims that they were carrying antiaircraft missiles when detained.
On May 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the accusation as "nonsense and delirium."
Life News is owned by News Media Holding – a private Russian firm controlled by Kremlin-loyalist Aram Babrelyanov and whose major shareholders include members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.
Voters in Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine, were unable to cast their ballots in the presidential election as most of the city's polling stations were closed. Pro-Russian rebels seized or blocked the offices of many election commissions in the area, in some cases kidnapping and intimidating election officials. A video from RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.
After casting her vote in the presidential election in the eastern Ukrainian city Dnipropetrovsk, presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko said that, if elected president, she will seek full NATO membership for Ukraine. A video from RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
During Ukraine's mass antigovernment protests early this year, the Trofanyuk family traveled to Kyiv to join the Maidan movement on Independence Square. Now back in their village in western Ukraine, the Trofanyuks are hoping that the early presidential election on May 25 will bring the stability the country needs. Avideo by Anastasia Moskvychova of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.
RFE/RL video of voters lining up on Cherkasy, central Ukraine
14:4525.5.2014
This just in from Reuters on the separatist march on Akhmetov's house:
Armed separatists gather outside home of Ukraine's richest man
DONETSK, Ukraine, May 25 (Reuters) - Scores of armed pro-Russian separatists massed outside the walled home of Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov, in the eastern city of Donetsk on Sunday as Ukrainians voted for a new president.
The rebels, roundly denounced by Akhmetov, have prevented voting in Donetsk, an industrial hub of a million people, and other parts of mainly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine, where they have declared "people's republics" outside Kiev's control.
Coal and steel billionaire Akhmetov, known abroad as the owner of Shakhtar Donetsk soccer club, has urged people to vote and accused the rebels of "genocide" last week.
Some of the men were masked and were aggressive towards journalists as they gathered by the high walls of Akhmetov's suburban residence, which is protected by armed security guards.
Akhmetov, whose factories and mines employ about 300,000 people, has encouraged his workers to take part in peace rallies in the past few days against the separatists and in favour of Ukrainian unity ahead of Sunday's election.
14:4225.5.2014
14:4225.5.2014
Election watchdog OPORA says by noon turnout was 25 percent nationwide:
