Kievan Rus'

Ukrainian authorities and pro-Russia rebels on Saturday agreed on a complete ceasefire and a buffer zone a bid to bolster the preliminary truce signed on September 5.

Kiev says Russia has "4,000 soldiers" at border

KIEV -- The Ukrainian government has announced that Russia amassed about 4,000 troops stationed in Crimea, on the border with Ukraine.

Worried by a drop in Russian gas volumes being transited via Ukraine and Slovakia, Kiev has asked the EU to discuss the issue with Moscow.

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Despite being on trial for threatening Serbian peace campaigners with violence, Belgrade’s former anti-terrorist police spokesman has gone to fight alongside pro-Russian forces in Ukraine.

US-led military exercises involving 1,300 troops from 15 countries started on Monday in northwestern Ukraine.

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New European Union sanctions targeting Russia over the crisis in Ukraine went into force on Friday, despite the threat of retaliation from Moscow.

Russia still has about 1,000 troops in eastern Ukraine, backed up by another 20,000 on the border, NATO said Thursday, despite Kiev reporting that Moscow had withdrawn the bulk of its forces.

Russia said on Sept. 9 it hoped that talks on the status of eastern Ukraine would start shortly between Kiev and pro-Moscow rebels.

The number of people confirmed killed in the Ukraine conflict has risen above 3,000 if the victims of the MH17 plane crash are included, and the actual figure may be significantly higher, a senior U.N. human rights official said on Sept. 8.
   

Twelve warships from NATO and other countries are to stage naval exercises, known as Sea Breeze, in the Black Sea.

Hosted by Ukraine, the drills are led by the US.

The maneuvers are held on an annual basis (and have been since 1997) and are not related to the developments in Ukraine and its standoff with Russia.