#Ukraine: #ProRussia #attackonrally #blamed for #Donetskbloodshed - #live #Menarmed with #truncheons, #shields #beatmarchers #USannouncesnewsanctions on individuals and #companies #EU to announce new sanctions on #Russianindividuals #MayorofKharkiv #extremelyserious but #stable after #shooting Read the #latest blog #summary Share Tweet this Email Mark Tran in London and Tom McCarthy and Alan Yuhas in New York theguardian, Monday 28 April 2014 19.59 BST Jump to comments (1423) Print this A pro-Russian activist walks in front of Ukrainian riot police during a pro-Ukrainian rally in the eastern city of Donetsk April 28, 2014. A pro-Russian activist walks in front of Ukrainian riot police during a pro-Ukrainian rally in the eastern city of Donetsk April 28, 2014. Photograph: MARKO DJURICA/REUTERS 7.59pm BST A Russian ambassador has called the decision to send OSCE monitors to eastern Ukraine, where eight were detained last week (one was later released), extremely irresponsible. The presence of the monitors was prescribed by a 17 April agreement in Geneva signed on all sides, including by Russia. Reuters reports: Andrey Kelin, Moscows ambassador to the OSCE, said however it would be a good step towards easing the conflict to release the seven European monitors, who are being held in the city of Slaviansk. Asked what Russia was doing to help achieve that, Kelin told reporters at the Vienna-based OSCE: We are doing some steps, not only by statements, but also in practice. He gave no further details. A senior U.S. diplomat called on Russia to secure the unconditional and immediate release of the German-led team. We remain disappointed that senior officials in Moscow have not condemned the abduction - nor have they demanded the teams immediate release, Gary Robbins, deputy head of the U.S. mission to the OSCE, told an extraordinary meeting of the 57-nation European security body. The captives - from Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland and Sweden - were paraded before reporters on Sunday and said they were in good health. A Swede was freed for medical reasons but the others are still being held, described by the rebel leader as prisoners of war and NATO spies. 7.38pm BST Thugs are trying to censor news outlets in east Ukraine by paying personal visits and threatening force, the Guardians Luke Harding reports from Donetsk. The men with baseball bats give specific recommendations as to word choice: Roman Lazorenko was sitting in his office writing an article on the shadowy rebellion that is engulfing eastern Ukraine when, as if on cue, eight men wearing balaclavas and military fatigues burst in. Two of them carried baseball bats. The youths – from the separatist Donetsk Peoples Republic – said they wanted a chat. They told Lazorenko they didnt like the editorial line of his website, 62.ua, and they had a series of demands. They said the word separatism was now forbidden. Journalists had to describe armed gunmen who had taken over a string of government buildings in the east of the country as supporters of federalisation. Anything written about this young state had to be cleared in advance. The news website had to publish details of a bank account for donations to the cause. We recommend you agree to our demands, said the groups leader, who identified himself as Dmitry Silakov. Read the full piece here. Updated at 7.38pm BST 6.57pm BST Summary • An unknown number of people were injured in the eastern city of Donestk when a pro-Russian group wielding clubs attacked people marching in a pro-Kiev rally. Journalists at the scene documented bleeding head wounds. • A Russian minister warned that Moscow would respond to new US sanctions on seven individuals and 17 companies with links to the inner circle of president Vladimir Putin. Some energy industry insiders shrugged off the sanctions, predicting business as usual. • The European Union said it would add 15 Russians to its lists of individuals sanctioned in connection with the Ukraine crisis. The names have yet to be announced. Lest the markets harbor any doubt, BP announced it intended to remain a long-term investor in Rosneft, the Russian energy giant whose leader the US has now sanctioned. • An assassination attempt against Gennady Kernes, the wealthy mayor of Kharkiv, left him in extremely serious but stable condition in the hospital. Kernes had opposed the Maidan demonstrations, but more recently opposed Kharkiv separatism. • A US official said OSCE observers have been subject to abuse while being held in the state security service building in Slavyansk, and that Russia has done nothing to help them. Germany has asked Russia to use its influence to secure their release. Update: to correct the number of detainees: eight were taken; one was later released; seven remain. Updated at 7.59pm BST 6.25pm BST The reaction from the Russian side to the new US sanctions – publicly, at least – is part counter-threat, part scoff. Meanwhile traders and global companies are forecasting business as usual, Reuters reports: [Rosneft head] Igor Sechin himself responded to being penalised for the Ukraine policies of his friend President Vladimir Putin with sarcasm, calling it an appreciation of our efficiency. The firm would go on working with foreign partners. So he cannot fly to drink with U.S. energy executives, one senior Russian oil trader shrugged after Rosneft shares lost 1.7 percent. But otherwise business will continue. Sanctions like the visa ban for the Rosneft CEO might, however, accelerate Russias turn to business with China, the trader added: So he changes from bourbon to Tsingtao beer... Senior executives and traders at European energy companies believe the U.S. sanctions do not apply to dealing with Rosneft itself. Earlier: BP says it intends to remain a long-term investor in Russias Rosneft. Updated at 6.33pm BST 5.58pm BST A journalist with (Western-based) ITV is arguing with a journalist working for (Kremlin-funded) Russia Today over who started the violence in Donetsk. @GrahamWP_UK I was there. Dont need your videos, Graham — James Mates (@jamesmatesitv) April 28, 2014 The Guardian did not have a reporter at the scene. Nearly every report were seeing from the scene says a peaceful pro-Kiev rally was attacked by a crowd of pro-Moscow partisans. We have seen no plausible reports otherwise. 5 minutes after @BoothWilliam took this pic, men with clubs appeared. Hes live-tweeting in Ukraine. Follow him now. pic.twitter/NJO2GVlaRp — Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 28, 2014 Updated at 6.00pm BST 5.38pm BST A photograph from the scene of the Donetsk clash via the EU correspondent for the Sunday Times: Pensioner in #Donetsk says was beaten by separatists who attacked pro-#Ukraine rally pic.twitter/9rxhJDl82v — Bojan Pancevski (@bopanc) April 28, 2014 5.30pm BST Multiple wounded in Donetsk street clashes An unknown number of people have been injured in Donetsk in a reported attack on a pro-Kiev march by a pro-Moscow group. According to reports, a peaceful pro-unity rally, watched over by normal police and riot police, was broken up by a pro-Russian crowd armed with truncheons and blunt objects, some of whom had been heckling and trailing the march a few moments before. Some reports said that both those in the pro-Kiev rally, as well as those chanting Russia, threw rocks at each other during the fight, but most of the civilians quickly fled the scene. By most accounts, police did little – or nothing – to calm the situation. There were reports of injuries. The fight reportedly ended with the pro-Russian crowd conducting a spontaneous march to replace the unity march. So apparently this happens when you carry a Ukrainian flag in..#Ukraine, #Donetsk. pic.twitter/5qY8AOdoCV — Just Hovens Greve (@JustHovensGreve) April 28, 2014 Updated at 7.31pm BST 4.19pm BST Gennady Kernes, the mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraines second largest city, is in extremely serious though stable condition after he was shot , according to a member of the Kharkiv city council interviewed outside the hospital where Kernes is being treated. Gennady Kernes, the mayor of Kharkiv. Updated at 4.50pm BST 4.12pm BST The Guardians Alec Luhn reports on some of the individuals targeted by the new US sanctions: The most notable name on the list was Igor Sechin, the head of Russias largest oil company Rosneft and an ally of Putins since they worked in the St Petersburg mayoral administration in the 1990s. Believed to have served as a Soviet spy, Sechin previously worked as Putins deputy chief of staff and deputy prime minister and is considered to be a leader of a conservative bloc within the Kremlin. Since taking over Rosneft, hes cultivated contacts with western investors, and the news of his sanction could raise questions about a joint venture between ExxonMobil and Rosneft to develop Arctic oil fields. Another member of Putins inner circle to make the latest round of sanctions was Vyacheslav Volodin, first deputy chief of staff of the presidential administration, who is widely believed to be in charge of the regimes internal political strategy. A life-long bureaucrat, he previously was an MP and high-ranking member of the ruling United Russia party. According to the US Treasury Department statement accompanying the sanctions, “Putin’s decision to move into Crimea is believed to have been based on consultations with his closest advisors, including Volodin.” The sanctions list also included deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak, a Kremlin loyalist who has worked with Putin since the beginning of the Russian leaders political ascent. A lawyer by training, Kozak, like Putin, worked in Soviet intelligence and then the St Petersburg mayoral administration. He is known as a specialist in handling sensitive Kremlin projects: The deputy prime minister served as Putins point man on the Sochi Olympics and was put in charge of Crimeas development after the peninsula was annexed by Russia last month. Read the full piece here. Updated at 6.15pm BST 4.03pm BST Canada is getting into the act too. Reuters is reporting that two Russian companies and nine individuals - to be named soon - will be targeted. 3.59pm BST Simon Ostrovky tweets about the project he was working on when he was seized. Heres what I was working on an hour before I was kidnapped https://t.co/kAiZSIPlMd — Simon Ostrovsky (@SimonOstrovsky) April 27, 2014 3.57pm BST US and EU announce new sanctions against Russia The US announces sanctions against seven Russians close to Vladimir Putin, including Igor Sechin, the head of state oil company Rosneft. Seventeen Russian companies in construction and energy (not including Rosneft) have also been targeted. The EU has agreed to target 15 Russians who could be named tomorrow. Russia expressed its disgust at the new measures. Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia will respond with moves that would have a painful effect on Washington. The mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraines second largest city, is fighting for his life after being shot in the back by unknown gunmen. Pro-Russian separatists have seized a police station in the eastern city of Konstantinovka, 50kms south of the rebel stronghold of Slavyansk. The police offered no resistance and allowed the gunmen to take over. A US official says the observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have been subject to abuse while being held in the state security service building in Slavyansk, and that Russia has done nothing to help them. Germany has asked Russia to use its influence to secure their release. Updated at 6.19pm BST 3.41pm BST BP says it intends to remain a long-term investor in Russias Rosneft, reports Reuters. We are committed to our investment in Rosneft, and we intend to remain a successful, long-term investor in Russia, a BP spokesman said. The company holds a 19.75% stake in Rosneft. 3.38pm BST One investment guru is undaunted by the Ukraine crisis. Mark Mobius, chairman of the Templeton emerging markets group, told Reuters its a good time to investment in Ukraine and Russia. Right now our calculation is that reward is better than the risk for both the Russian and Ukraine investments, Mobius told Reuters in an interview in the Romanian capital Bucharest. His emerging markets fund holds about $200m in Ukrainian stocks and $500m in Russian equities. Most of the assets and investments that we have in Ukraine are in the western side, the non-Russian speaking side. The word were getting from the companies in which we invested is no big deal. For Russia prices have been really depressed, and the valuations are extremely attractive. Mobius envisioned a scenario in which some accommodation (was) reached between Ukrainian authorities and the Russians to move more towards a federalist system, where the Russian speaking parts of the country have some degree of autonomy. 3.24pm BST Russia has threatened the US and the EU with a painful response, reports AFP. We will, of course, respond, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Interfax news agency. We are certain that this response will have a painful effect on Washington. He provided no further details but stressed that Russia had a broad range of options. Ryabkov said Washingtons measures would only escalate tensions around the culturally splintered ex-Soviet state. We are disgusted with the statement issued by the White House press secretary, said Ryabkov. Every word used by the White House press secretary in the statement confirms that the United States has completely lost touch with reality and is leading things toward an escalation of the crisis. 3.17pm BST AP has a bit more on Igor Sechin, the head of Rosneft. BP and ExxonMobil have major stakes in the Russian state oil company. Igor Sechin, the president of state oil company Rosneft, has worked for Putin since the early 1990s. Sechin was seen as the mastermind behind the 2003 legal assault on private oil company Yukos and its founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who at the time was Russias richest man. The most lucrative parts of Yukos were taken over by Rosneft, making it Russias largest company. Rosneft has a major partnership deal with ExxonMobil. 3.09pm BST A senior US official says that there is broad belief that the OSCE military monitors had been subject to abuse while being held in the state security service building in Slavyansk, and that Russia has done nothing to help them, writes Julian Borger, the Guardians diplomatic editor. In a briefing to provide the background on the new US sanctions on Russia, the official said Slavyansk was becoming a mafia hub and a Bermuda triangle in which growing numbers of people were disappearing. Earlier today, the Russian foreign ministry said the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, called his counterpart in Moscow, Sergei Lavrov, to talk about the captive OSCE monitors but said nothing about the outcome of the conversation. The member states of the OSCE are holding an emergency session this afternoon to discuss the detention of the military monitors. 3.01pm BST The Guardians Spencer Ackerman in New York has filed this report on the US sanctions. The US on Monday announced sanctions on officials and companies linked to President Vladimir Putins inner circle, accusing Russia of provocative acts and undermining democracy in Ukraine. As expected, the White House’s announcement included visa bans, asset freezes and export licence denials on a panoply of top Russian officials and firms as reprisal for the continuing destabilisation of eastern Ukraine. In a statement, the White House called Russian involvement in the Ukraine crisis “indisputable.” Seven Russian officials and two Putin confidantes will have their assets frozen and a US visa ban imposed on them. Seventeen Russian companies will also be subject to the asset freeze, with 13 of them subject to what the White House called a “presumption of denial” on licenses for export, re-export or transfer of goods or items from the US to them. Among the targets of the new sanctions is Igor Sechin, a long time Putin ally who has been described as Putins lieutenant. Sechin worked under Putin in the St Petersburg city hall in the early 90s. When Putin left for Moscow, he took Sechin along with him. 2.56pm BST Agence France-Presse has more on the EU end of sanctions. The 15 Russian and Ukrainian officials could be named tomorrow. The EU agreed on Monday to impose sanctions on another 15 Russian and Ukrainian individuals for their role in the Ukraine crisis, diplomatic sources said. The 15 will be subject to the same visa ban and asset freezes imposed on more than 50 others as Moscow shows no sign of reversing course in Ukraine, the sources said. The new names will be listed in the EUs official journal, likely on Tuesday. The decision was taken at a meeting of the 28 member states ambassadors to the EU, who gathered to discuss the next step in responding to the Ukraine crisis. The measures fall short of the full-scale economic sanctions proposed by Washington, which announced separately on Monday that it was taking action against another seven Russian officials and 17 firms linked to President Vladimir Putins inner circle. With far more extensive economic ties between many member states and Moscow, the EU has balked at moving to tougher phase 3 sanctions that would target Russias economy as a whole, although leaders have agreed to begin preparation of sanctions. 2.40pm BST The Daily Telegraphs Roland Oliphant tweets: Igor Sechin finally makes the US sanctions list, filling a puzzling hole in the batting order this series, etc etc. t.co/RrCqmcbYVg — Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) April 28, 2014 2.37pm BST A US official says capital outflows from Russia this year comes to $60bn due to Ukraine, exceeding last years total, Reuters reports. 2.35pm BST Times Simon Shuster has this useful piece on the targets of US sanctions. What unites all of the key figures on the US blacklist is not their official rank or even their wealth. It is their ties to Putin’s St Petersburg circle. Some of them grew close to Putin decades ago through a shared affinity for martial arts. 2.30pm BST Shares in Russian oil company Rosneft have fallen 2.1% after the US announced sanctions against its chief executive, Igor Sechin, although prices rose on the Moscow stock exchanges after Washington said no listed Russian company was included in a list of companies to be hit by sanctions. 2.28pm BST Statement from US treasury secretary Jacob Lew on the new sanctions. Russia’s dangerous and inflammatory actions against Ukraine are illegal and illegitimate. Since Russia has refused to follow through on its Geneva commitments, today the United States is following through on its statements – we are imposing additional costs against Russia, including sanctions on individuals in the Russian leadership’s inner circle and 17 entities closely linked to previously sanctioned members of the inner circle. Today’s targeted actions, taken in close coordination with the EU, will increase the impact we have already begun to see on Russia’s own economy as a result of Russias actions in Ukraine and from US and international sanctions. Russian economic growth forecasts have dropped sharply, capital flight has accelerated and higher borrowing costs reflect declining confidence in the market outlook. Our goal continues to be for Russia to deescalate the situation so that additional sanctions are not needed. However, we are resolved to continue to work with our international partners and take the steps required, including action against individuals and entities in specific sectors, if Russia continues to press forward. Updated at 3.30pm BST 2.23pm BST The Russians targeted under expanded US sanctions include Oleg Belavencev, Sergei Chemezov, Dmitry Kozak, Eveniy Murov, Aleksei Pushkov, Vyacheslav Volodin and Igor Sechin, head of energy giants Rosneft. The US treasury has details of the new measures, including the 17 companies. Updated at 2.24pm BST 2.18pm BST EU sanctions target 15 more Russians The EU has announced its own sanctions. They have agreed to target 15 more Russians. 2.15pm BST A couple of developments on the energy front. Reuters reports that Ukraine is ready to pay Russias Gazprom $268 per 1,000 cubic metres of gas and would quickly pay off its $2.2bn debt if the state-controlled company agreed, Arseny Yatseniuk, said. Yatseniuk told a briefing the government and Ukraines state gas company Naftogaz had started procedures to take Gazprom to an arbitration tribunal in Stockholm over inflated gas prices and that the Russian side had 30 days to respond to Kievs proposals. Meanwhile, AP reports that Slovakia has signed a deal to deliver natural gas to Ukraine. Under the deal, Slovakia will send gas through a pipeline that was meant for transporting gas from Ukraine but is currently unused. The signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Slovak pipeline operator Eustream and Ukraines Ukrtransgaz is another step in Ukraines efforts to reduce its dependence on Russia. It has already agreed on gas supplies also from Germany, through Poland, as well as from Hungary. The German supplies, from utility RWE, already started this month. 2.05pm BST AP has this short story on the US sanctions. The White House says the United States is sanctioning seven Russian government officials and 17 companies with links to Russian President Vladimir Putins inner circle. The White House says the penalties are being levied because Russia has failed to live up to commitments it agreed to under an international accord aimed at deescalating the crisis in Ukraine. And the White House says it is prepared to impose still greater costs if Russia continues its provocations in Ukraine. In addition to the sanctions, the US is revoking export licenses for high-technology items that it says could contribute to Russias military capabilities. The White House announced the sanctions while President Barack Obama is traveling in Asia. 2.03pm BST Max Seddon of BuzzFeed tweets on US sanctions WH: Russia has done nothing to meet its Geneva commitments & in fact has further escalated the crisis. Ukraine meddling is indisputable — max seddon (@maxseddon) April 28, 2014 2.02pm BST More US sanctions announced The White House has just announced sanctions against seven Russian officials including an asset freeze and a US visa ban, but it has not named the seven. 1.58pm BST Barack Obama announces new sanctions against Russia over Ukraine President Barack Obama speaks about Ukraine at a press conference during his visit to the Philippines Photograph: Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images 1.55pm BST Royal Air Force jets have been deployed to Baltic air space as part of Natos response to the Ukraine crisis. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said four Typhoon aircraft, promised in March, had now been sent to the region. They will take part in the Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which lack their own air defence fighter planes. In the wake of recent events in Ukraine, it is right that Nato takes steps to reaffirm very publicly its commitment to the collective security of its members, said Hammond. As a leading member of Nato, the UK is playing a central role, underlined by todays deployment of RAF Typhoon aircraft to Lithuania. This, alongside the other action we are taking, will provide reassurance to our Nato allies in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states. Britain must continue to play its part in standing up to Russias actions, pressing for Russia to change course, and helping the Ukrainian people in their hour of need. The deployment coincides with a report from the UK parliaments defence select committee warning of the increased threat of state versus state conflict after years in which terrorism was considered the most significant concern. You can read Ewen MacAskills coverage of the MPs report here. 12.52pm BST Ukrainian TV station in Donetsk held by pro-Russian separatists – video Pro-Russian separatists block the entrance to a television station in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine Photograph: Baz Ratner/REUTERS Updated at 12.55pm BST 12.36pm BST Armed men stand guard in front of a regional administrative building seized last night by pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Konstantinovka. Armed men stand guard in front of a regional administrative building seized last night by pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Konstantinovka. Photograph: VASILY MAXIMOV/AFP/Getty Images 12.27pm BST Luke Harding also this snippet on the latest seizure of government buildings. A group of 30 pro-Russian gunmen seized a police station in the eastern city of Konstantinovka, 50kms (31miles) south of the rebel stronghold of Slavyansk. The masked militia men entered the building at 6am. The police offered no resistance and allows the gunmen to take over. The town is on the main highway between Donetsk, the regional capital and Slavyansk, 105 kms to the north. It has little strategic importance but appears part of an ongoing plan to establish a rebel “Donetsk Peoples Republic” on the ground, ahead of a separatist-organised “referendum” due to take place on May 11. 12.20pm BST Are the sanctions likely to influence Putins behaviour? Unlikely says Ruth Deyermond in a Comment is Free piece on Russias motivations - to prevent Ukraine from falling into the western orbit. The negative aspect for the US and its European partners is that sanctions and other possible punishments are likely to be ineffective, because they are trivial compared with the stakes for Russia in Ukraine. Attempted military coercion of Russia by the US is unthinkable, so an accommodation with Russia appears necessary – something the Obama administration is pragmatic enough to be prepared for. The Ukrainian crisis is primarily a domestic one and its resolution will depend on Ukrainians themselves. But Russias role is also key to resolving the crisis. Engaging effectively with Russia will require an understanding of what is at stake in Ukraine – Russias status and identity. 12.13pm BST Reuters has this on the sanctions to be announced later today. The new US sanctions will add more people and firms to a list announced last month of figures whose assets are frozen and who are denied visas to travel to the US. The EU is also expected to add targets to its Russia sanctions list. Ambassadors from the 28 EU states met in Brussels and an EU diplomat said they were expected to add around 15 new names. Washington will also target some high tech exports, Obama said in Manila during an Asia trip. But the measures do not yet include the wider sanctions, such as curbs on the Russian financial and energy sectors, that would do the most serious damage to Russias economy. We are keeping in reserve additional steps that we could take should the situation escalate further, Obama said, acknowledging that he did not know if the measures he has ordered so far will work. US officials have said the new list would include Putins cronies in the hope of changing his behaviour. The goal is not to go after Mr Putin personally. The goal is to change his calculus with respect to how the current actions that hes engaging in in Ukraine could have an adverse impact on the Russian economy over the long haul, Obama said. To encourage him to actually walk the walk and not just talk the talk when it comes to diplomatically resolving the crisis in Ukraine. 12.05pm BST 12.03pm BST Luke Harding in Donetsk, one of the main flashpoints in eastern Ukraine, has details of the mayors shooting in Kharkiv. The mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraines second largest city, was fighting for his life on Monday after unidentified gunmen shot him in the back as he went for a morning swim. Gennady Kernes, aged 54, was undergoing emergency surgery in hospital, his office said. “The doctors are fighting to save his life,” his spokeswoman Tatiana Gruzinsyaka confirmed. It was unclear who was behind the apparent assassination attempt. Kernes was a leading figure in the Party of Regions of Ukraines ex-president Viktor Yanukovych. The mayor had bitterly attacked the Maidan demonstrations which saw Yanukovych flee to Russia in February. A flamboyant figure, with alleged ties to organised crime in the 1990s, he had backed closer ties with Moscow. Since the change in government in Kiev, however, Kerness statements had become distinctly more patriotic. He has stated that Kharkiv, an eastern university city near the Russian border, should remain part of Ukraine. A billionaire, he has also claimed that he was himself a victim of Yanukovychs corrupt system. Posting on Facebook, a senior Kharkiv journalist Zurab Alasania blamed Russia for Mondays shooting. He noted that the mayor had not changed his routine of going for a morning dip in a Kharkiv lake, despite the deteriorating security situation in the east. “The Russian Federation is identifying and liquidating key centres of resistance,” Alasania posted on Facebook. 11.56am BST Tension in eastern Ukraine remains high. The mayor of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine has been shot and wounded his office says. The office of Gennady Kernes, the mayor of Ukraines second-largest city said Monday he was shot in the back and doctors are fighting for his life. Kernes first backed Moscow, but later switched loyalties to the interim government in Kiev. Elsewhere, pro-Russian militants seized a council building in yet another city in eastern Ukraine, Kostyantynivka, 100 miles from the Russian border. On the diplomatic front, the US is expected to announce further sanctions targeting wealthy individuals close to President Vladimir Putin. The EU is also planning more sanctions, with its 28 ambassadors meeting in Brussels to add to the list of Russian officials who have been hit by asset freezes and travel bans. Germany has urged Moscow to use its influence on pro-Russian separatists to win the release of observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) who are being held in the city of Slavyansk. Read Luke Hardings account of the seizure of the TV station in Donetsk by pro-Russian gunmen here. Updated at 4.48pm BST theguardian/world/2014/apr/28/ukraine-mayor-in-second-largest-city-kharkiv-shot-live-updates
Posted on: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 19:08:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015