Thousands of people in the conflict-torn regions of Ukraine have fled the ongoing violence to neighboring Russia. Several towns in eastern Ukraine have suffered daily shelling and violent clashes between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian forces in recent weeks. Media reports say at least 5,000 people had fled the conflict zone by Thursday evening. Footage from one border crossing in the eastern Lugansk... 

The Russian Defense Ministry has decided not to pull back troops from the border with Ukraine. The army group in Rostov and Belgorod regions has been strengthened again. At the same time, despite the unilateral cessation of hostilities in the east of the country, announced by President Peter Poroshenko, the quantity of Ukrainian military equipment in the areas of clashes with militias will be increased. “The... 

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has declared Sunday a day of mourning and vowed to punish those responsible for shooting down a military plane in the eastern part of the country. On Saturday, Poroshenko ordered a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council to be convened due to the deadly events near the eastern city of Lugansk. “Ukraine needs peace. However, the terrorists will receive... 

A Ukrainian military Il-76 jet. Forty-nine Ukrainian troops were killed when their military Il-76 transport jet was taken down by local militia forces just before it started its descent toward Lugansk Airport. Some military hardware and supplies were lost as well. The death toll was confirmed by the Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s office on Saturday morning in a statement, which said nine crew members... 

Moscow has urged Kiev to halt its military operations in eastern Ukraine amid reports of civilian casualties during a full-scale assault on pro-Russian protesters there. The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement urging the Kiev government to stop what Moscow calls Ukraine’s military operations against its own people. The Russian ministry also called on the Organization for Security and Cooperation... 

More than 50 self-defense fighters and as many civilians have been killed since Ukrainian troops stepped up their offensive in the region on Monday, according to the PM of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Aleksandr Boroday. “We’ve lost more than 50 self-defense fighters,” Boroday said, as cited by RIA Novosti. “Many of the casualties are a result of two Kamaz trucks having... 

In a series of new reports from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on the election of Petro Poroshenko [photo top right] as the next president of Ukraine, the overriding sentiment of Kremlin diplomatic officials can only be described as one of “astonished glee” as this most troubled of nations (provided with “substantial” help from its US-EU allies) has selected as its leader one the most...