Civil War

Dozens die as Luhansk refugee convoy hit by rocket and mortar fire
Ukraine government and rebels blame each other for attack, which has killed evacuees trying to escape the conflict. Dozens of people, including women and children, were killed on Monday when a convoy carrying refugees was hit by rocket fire near the eastern city of Luhansk, a Ukrainian military spokesman said. [...]
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17 Ukrainian soldiers cross into Russia, lay down arms – FSB
Seventeen Ukrainian soldiers crossed into Russia's southern Rostov region on Saturday and laid down their arms after fleeing the fighting, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said. “It happened this morning,” Nikolay Sinitsyn, the official regional representative of the FSB, told RT. “They were provided with food, and they’re safe here. We’re carrying out a probe.” [...]
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US calls for restraint in Ukrainian army’s actions after deadly Donetsk shelling
The deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State Marie Harf has called restraint on the Ukrainian military's actions in the east for the first time, following a major shelling of Donetsk that left at least 70 civilians dead. “We’ve stressed the importance of showing restraint to minimize casualties among the civilian – the local population,” Harf said. [...]
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“White rain”: Donetsk residents record alleged phosphorus shelling (VIDEO)
Citizens of Donetsk have recorded multiple videos of white glowing particles raining on residential quarters. The locals allege that Ukraine's military has shelled their city with internationally prohibited phosphorus incendiaries. On Thursday night, people in the Lenin district of the city of Donetsk saw a flow of white fire pouring down from the dark sky alongside the now-familiar sound of bo [...]
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3 days in Donetsk: 70+ civilians killed, over 100 wounded
Over 70 people have been killed in the Donetsk Region, and 116 others have been wounded over the last three days of fighting in eastern Ukraine, according to a statement by regional authorities. The Ukrainian army has been shelling Donetsk and its suburbs overnight as well. On Tuesday, the military seized a key train station near Donetsk. [...]
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In the line of fire: Journalists killed and abducted in Eastern Ukraine
As human rights organizations call for an end to repression against the press in Eastern Ukraine, RT recalls the journalists who were abducted, tortured or paid the ultimate price and lost their lives while reporting from the heart of the civil war. Eastern Ukraine has been dubbed a “trap for journalists” by Human Rights Watch’s representative in Russia as the deepening crisis has already [...]
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Russian aid can enter with Red Cross: Ukraine
MOSCOW: With a theatrical flourish, Russia on Tuesday dispatched hundreds of trucks covered in white tarps and sprinkled with holy water on a mission to deliver aid to a desperate rebel-held zone in eastern Ukraine. The televised sight of the miles-long convoy sparked a show of indignation from the government in Kiev, which insisted any aid must be delivered by the international Red Cross. [...]
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France to supply weapons to Kurdish forces in Iraq
France is to join the club of Western nations directly assisting Iraqi Kurds. Paris said the Kurds are in "urgent need" of support to fight against the radical Islamic State group. The French president’s office said the arms shipments will be delivered in a matter of hours and have been agreed to by Baghdad. [...]
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On the Brink of Survival: No electricity, water, communications in besieged Lugansk, E. Ukraine
250,000 people have been left without water, electricity and communications for over a week in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lugansk. The town is subject to siege conditions and under heavy bombardment. “We're being bombed so severely, there's hardly anything left to bomb. People are running out of money. How are we supposed to survive in this heat? [...]
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Russia and Ukraine agree on humanitarian operation – Lavrov
Moscow and Kiev have agreed on a humanitarian mission under the authority of the Red Cross, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated. “With careful optimism, I can now say that, I think, all possible and impossible pretexts have been dismissed. I hope that in the very nearest future this humanitarian action will take place under the authority of the Red Cross,” Lavrov said. [...]
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Russian resigns to make way for Ukrainian as new head of ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’
Alexander Borodai steps down as prime minister of self-styled republic in move aimed at dampening accusations that rebellion in east is being run by Moscow. Kyiv Post reports. The Russian prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has announced his resignation in a move aimed at dampening claims that the rebellion in eastern Ukraine is being masterminded by Moscow. [...]
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38 minutes late: Report reveals firefighters’ delayed response to deadly Odessa blaze
Despite desperate calls from witnesses, Odessa fire brigades came to the scene of the notorious Trade Unions House blaze only 38 minutes after it was reported, leaked transcripts of emergency calls show. The fire claimed the lives of 48 people in May. The leaked transcripts involve calls which local emergency services reportedly received on the evening of May 2. [...]
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Donetsk militia ready for ceasefire to prevent further humanitarian catastrophe
Donetsk region militia says it is ready for a ceasefire to stop the humanitarian catastrophe deteriorating, the self-proclaimed Republic's prime minister said. “We hope that the international community will influence the bloodthirsty Kiev government,” Aleksandr Zakharchenko said as cited by RIA Novosti. [...]
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Ukrainian soldiers who escaped death at Russian border tell their stories
438 soldiers and officers of the Ukrainian armed forces have crossed into Russia, escaping the intense fighting. RT asked them why they did this and what's next for them. After almost four months of operation in the country’s east, soldiers say that “no one wants to fight.” [...]
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Ukraine’s violent escalation: From Molotov cocktails to ballistic missiles
In less than a year, Ukraine has been plunged into a vortex of violence that doesn't appear to have any end in sight. The vicious circle that started with Molotov cocktails thrown at riot police has now gone to ballistic missiles launched at cities. RT traces the bloody path that led a once peaceful country into civil war. [...]
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4 killed, 18 injured as hospital, residential area shelled in Donetsk, E. Ukraine (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
"The hospital became a nightmare," said a patient who survived after a major medical institution in Donetsk was shelled by Ukrainian troops in a series of attacks on residential neighborhoods that resulted in four casualties throughout the city. “This is absurd,” 37-year old Dmitry Kozhur told AP correspondent on the ground. “We came here to keep living, but now we are risking death.” [...]
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Kiev “gave up on us”: Ukrainian commander tells why 400 troops escaped into Russia
The command in Kiev has blatantly abandoned a group of more than 400 soldiers encircled by the self-defense forces, the senior Ukrainian officer who requested sanctuary in Russia with his men has revealed. Lack of ammunition, food, fuel and clear orders from the command on how to act in the condition of encirclement has made the Ukrainian troops cross the border, Major Vitaly Dubinyak, a battal [...]
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Kiev deploying missile launchers, multiple rocket systems near Donetsk – Moscow
Kiev keeps deploying missile launchers, including SS-21 (Scarab) and multiple rocket systems Uragan and Smerch in Donetsk as it "wants to continue the war" in eastern Ukraine, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The Ukrainian army continues deploy Tochka U [which NATO refers to as SS-21 or Scarab], Smerch [the BM-30 Tornado] and Uragan [the BM-27] missile complexes to Donetsk. [...]
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Over 400 Ukrainian troops cross into Russia for refuge
More than 400 Ukrainian troops have been allowed to cross into Russia after requesting sanctuary. It's the largest, but not the first, case of desertion into Russia by Ukrainian soldiers involved in Kiev's military crackdown in the east of the country. [...]
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