Section: The Japan Times (Japan)
Ukraine accuses Russia of sending in tanks, other armored vehilces
Ukraine accused Russia on Thursday of entering its territory with tanks, artillery and troops, and Western powers said Moscow had “outright lied” about its role and dangerously escalated the conflict. Russia dismissed the allegations, describing the fighters there as “Russian volunteers.” The Kremlin has repeatedly denied arming and supporting...
U.S. weighs options, increased sanctions in response to Russian encroachment in Ukraine
The United States accused Russia on Thursday of actively fighting in eastern Ukraine in support of separatist forces and said it was considering a range of possible responses, including increased sanctions. “It is clear that Russia has not only stepped up its presence in eastern Ukraine and intervened directly with combat forces, armored...
Poroshenko says Russian troops have entered Ukrainian territory
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Thursday that Russia has moved troops and heavy artillery over the border into the territory of Ukraine and he has canceled his planned visit to Turkey. Russia’s Interfax news service said the Russian Defense Ministry denies Moscow sent military units to Ukraine. At a meeting of the National...
Battle for key southeast coast heats up in Ukraine
The battle for Ukraine’s strategic coastline heated up Wednesday as a local mayor reported that pro-Russian rebel forces entered a key town in southeast Ukraine after three days of heavy shelling. Novoazovsk, a resort town of 40,000 on the Sea of Azov, lies in a strategically significant location — on the road linking Russia to […] The post...
Poroshenko to seek ceasefire after ‘very tough’ talks with Putin
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko promised after late-night negotiations with Russia’s Vladimir Putin to work on an urgent cease-fire plan to defuse the separatist conflict in the east of his former Soviet republic. The first talks between the two leaders since June were described by Putin as positive, but he said it was not for Russia...
Ukraine says detained Russian soldiers were on ‘special mission’
Ukraine said on Tuesday its forces had captured a group of Russian paratroopers who had crossed into Ukrainian territory on a “special mission” — but Moscow said they had ended up there by mistake. The Ukrainian military meanwhile reported pro-Russian separatist forces were shelling the town of Novoazovsk and buildings there, including a...
Weapons convoys seen rolling in eastern Ukraine
For several evenings this month, convoys of military weaponry passed with clockworklike regularity through Krasnodon, a rebel-held town in eastern Ukraine near the porous border with Russia. The convoys were seen three times last week by Associated Press reporters, and one of them carried about 30 units of weaponry and supplies. All were coming...
Ukrainian president dissolves parliament
Ukraine’s president on Monday dissolved parliament and called for early elections in October as his country continues to battle a pro-Russian insurgency in its eastern regions. In a statement on his website, President Petro Poroshenko said snap elections would be held Oct. 26. Poroshenko said the dissolution, which was prefigured by the...
Russian tank column has entered southeast Ukraine: Kiev
A column of Russian tanks and armored vehicles entered southeastern Ukraine around dawn Monday, a Ukrainian official said — a move that brings the conflict to an area that has so far escaped the intense fighting of recent weeks. The reported incursion came a day ahead of a summit that includes both Russian President Vladimir […] The post Russian...
Ukraine accuses Russian forces of opening new front in separatist war
The Ukrainian military said Monday that a group of Russian forces, in the guise of separatist rebels, had crossed into south-east Ukraine with ten tanks and two armored infantry vehicles, aiming to open a new front in the separatist war. Earlier, a separate military statement said border guards had halted the armored column outside Novoazovsk,...
