Section: The Japan Times (Japan)
Investigators reach Ukraine jet wreckage site
As mortar fire landed nearby, an international team of investigators finally reached the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 wreckage site Thursday and got their first look at a scene experts fear has been badly compromised in the two weeks since the plane was blown out of the sky. For the families of the 298 victims, it […] The post Investigators...
Sanctions seen damaging Russia if not lifted quickly
U.S. and European sanctions against Russia’s energy and finance sectors are strong enough to cause deep, long-lasting damage within months unless Moscow persuades the West to repeal them by withdrawing support for Ukrainian insurgents. The U.S. and European Union released details Wednesday of new sanctions aimed at hurting Russia’s...
Ukraine army retakes town on edge of rebel bastion Donetsk
Ukraine’s army said Wednesday that it had retaken a town on the outskirts of the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk, and intercepted another convoy of vehicles crossing over from Russia. Government forces said in a statement that they had seized control of Avdiyivka, a town of about 40,000 located around a dozen kilometers north of […]...
After shaky start, Ukraine turns eastern offensive around
When Ukraine’s military offensive to oust pro-Russian rebels from the restive east began in mid-April with humiliated soldiers meekly surrendering their armored vehicles it looked doomed to failure. But after more than three months of brutal fighting that has claimed some 1,100 lives, a sudden advance by battle-hardened government forces in...
U.S., Europe slap Russia with toughest sanctions yet over Ukraine
The United States and Europe targeted Russia’s key financial, arms and energy sectors Tuesday with tough new sanctions in response to Moscow’s intervention in the Ukraine crisis. Announcing the measures, U.S. President Barack Obama denied that the West had begun a new Cold War against its former Soviet foe, but urged his counterpart....
Ukraine says black boxes show rocket shrapnel caused plane crash
Black boxes recovered from downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in rebel-held east Ukraine show shrapnel from a rocket explosion caused the passenger jet to crash, a Ukrainian security official said Monday. International investigators “indicated that data from flight recorders show that the reason for the destruction and crash of the plane...
West says Russia is still arming Ukraine separatists, urges more sanctions
Swift new sanctions against Russia are needed to stop it from arming separatists in Ukraine and destabilizing the country, the United States, Germany, France, Britain and Italy agreed on Monday. Leaders of the five countries spoke by phone and agreed the international community should “impose further costs” on Russia and that the EU...
Police team turns back from Ukraine crash site
An international police team abandoned its attempt to reach the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines plane for a second day running Monday as clashes raged in a town on the road to the area. With government troops intensifying their push to claw back more territory from pro-Russian separatist rebels, the death toll is mounting […] The post...
Police team turns back from Ukraine crash site
An international police team abandoned its attempt to reach the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines plane for a second day running Monday as clashes raged in a town on the road to the area. With government troops intensifying their push to claw back more territory from pro-Russian separatist rebels, the death toll is mounting […] The post...
Pushing locals aside, Russians take top rebel posts in east Ukraine
As Ukrainian troops gained ground in eastern Ukraine in early July, separatist leader, Aleksander Borodai, a Russian national, left for Moscow for political consultations. After what he described as successful talks with unnamed people there, he returned to the rebel stronghold of Donetsk to introduce a new senior figure in his self-proclaimed...
