Some government troops have retreated from the strategic eastern Ukrainian town of Debaltsevo, which has been besieged by pro-Russia forces, sources say. “We are evacuating some of our units,” Ilya Kiva, a local police officer, said on Wednesday morning, adding, “But full-scale street fighting continues, and there was also a small tank battle.” The pro-Russians said they have the town under... 

Ukrainian troops outside the town of Andreyevskoye near Slavyansk, Donetsk Region. NATO is preparing a package deal to ramp up the Ukrainian military because it ‘must adapt’ to Russia viewing it as an enemy, the outgoing chief of the military bloc said. The deal would be submitted to foreign ministers of members states later this month, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told El Pais... 

The United States has warned Russia that it would hold the Kremlin “directly responsible” if it has threatened use of force against Ukrainian military. “Reports of an ultimatum, if true, constitute a dangerous escalation of the situation for which we would hold Russia directly responsible,” US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Monday. She made the warning after reports said Moscow...