U.S. President Barack Obama says the United States is considering all options short of military action to turn up the pressure on Russia after Moscow-backed separatists launched a new offensive in eastern Ukraine.

Obama Seeks To Increase Pressure On Russia After Ukraine Offensive

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U.S. President Barack Obama says the United States is considering all options short of military action to turn up the pressure on Russia after Moscow-backed separatists launched a new offensive in eastern Ukraine.

Опрос: большинство россиян осудили теракты в Париже - РИА Новости

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РИА Новости

Опрос: большинство россиян осудили теракты в Париже
РИА Новости
Согласно результатам опроса Всероссийского центра изучения общественного мнения (ВЦИОМ), большинство опрошенных (87%) осудили вооруженное нападение на редакцию и убийство журналистов, при этом 39% сказали, что в состоянии понять причины поступка этих людей, ...
Более 50% россиян считают виновными в трагедии Charlie Hebdo журналистовРБК
Патриарх Кирилл осудил карикатуры на пророка МухаммедаНТВ.ru
Патриарх Кирилл осудил публикации карикатур на пророка МухаммедаРоссийская Газета
Независимая газета -Газета.Ru -Ведомости
Все похожие статьи: 121 »

Seven Soldiers Killed in Ukraine

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Ukraine's military said Monday seven of its soldiers have been killed in the past day during fighting in the separatist, war-torn eastern region. Officials say at least 24 soldiers have been wounded in the violence. Fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia rebels in recent days has been at the worst level since agreement on a cease-fire in September. President Barack Obama and European leaders threatened new sanctions on Russia after rebels launched a deadly rocket attack on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Saturday. Obama said Sunday he would "ratchet up" pressure on Moscow following the attack that killed at least 30 people and wounded more than 80 others when rockets slammed into a market and apartment buildings. "We are deeply concerned about the latest break in the cease-fire and the aggression that these separatists, with Russian backing, Russian equipment, Russian financing, Russian training and Russian troops, are conducting. And we will continue to take the approach that we have taken in the past, which is to ratchet up the pressure on Russia, and I will look at all additional options that are available to us short of military confrontation and try to address this issue," said Obama. Some European leaders have recently talked of easing economic sanctions against Moscow. But Donald Tusk, the former Polish prime minister who now chairs European Union summits, tweeted in a message, "Once again, appeasement encourages the aggressor to greater acts of violence. Time to step up our policy based on cold facts, not illusions." Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko said that radio and telephone conversations intercepted by Kyiv prove that Russian-backed separatists were responsible for the Mariupol attack. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Kyiv's forces were responsible for increased fighting in recent days in eastern Ukraine. Lavrov told European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in a phone call Sunday that Moscow wants the EU to pressure Ukraine to negotiate with the rebels to implement a frequently broken cease-fire agreed to last September.  Mogherini said she is calling a meeting Thursday of EU foreign ministers to discuss the new violence in Ukraine.

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Мариуполь после обстрела 

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Так через сутки после обстрела из "Градов" выглядел микрорайон "Восточный" в Мариуполе. Жертвами атаки стали...
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Azerbaijan, Armenia Trade Accusations Of Cease-Fire Violations 

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Azerbaijani and Armenian officials have exchanged fresh accusations of violations of a 1994 cease-fire.

Лавров винит Киев в "срыве мирного процесса" в Донбассе - BBC Russian

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РБК

Лавров винит Киев в "срыве мирного процесса" в Донбассе
BBC Russian
Министр иностранных дел России Сергей Лавров заявил, что власти Украины "пытаются решить" проблемы в Донбассе силой. Эта ремарка прозвучала после субботнего обстрела Мариуполя, в ходе которого погибли 30 человек. "Мы видим попытки сорвать мирный процесс и попытки, ...
Москва обвинила Киев в новых жертвах среди мирного населения в ДонбассеРБК
Лавров: Попытки Киева сорвать мирный процесс в Донбассе бесперспективныКомсомольская правда
Лавров обвинил Украину в попытках сорвать мирный процесс в ДонбассеАргументы и факты
Московский комсомолец -ТАСС -Интерфакс - Украина
Все похожие статьи: 97 »
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Новости политики: Порошенко обеспокоил односторонний отказ от минских переговоров ополченцев Донбасса - Актуальные новости - периодическое издание о событиях в мире

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Forbes Ukraine

Новости политики: Порошенко обеспокоил односторонний отказ от минских переговоров ополченцев Донбасса
Актуальные новости - периодическое издание о событиях в мире
Ополчение Донбасса не видит смысла в минских соглашениях и регулярных переговорах, так как согласования, достигнутые там, украинская сторона не считает нужным соблюдать, а соответственно и противники АТО вынуждены идти на аналогичные меры – они защищают свою ...
Война или мир? 4 сценария развития конфликта на ДонбассеСЕГОДНЯ
Силовики ведут массированные обстрелы в Донбассе, Порошенко настаивает на новом формате переговоровПервый канал
В ДНР заявляют об усилении экономической блокады со стороны КиеваInterfax Russia

Все похожие статьи: 83 »

Dashboard camera footage captures heavy shelling in Mariupol that kills 30 people

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Shocking dashboard camera footage has emerged showing the moment a driver was lucky to escape with his life after heavy shelling hit a residential area in south-east Ukraine last week.

Armed Men Surround Crimean Tatar Television Channel

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Armed, masked men in unmarked military clothing have surrounded the headquarters of the only television channel broadcasting in the Crimean Tatar language on the annexed Black Sea peninsula.

Lithuanian Prime Minister In Georgia For Talks On Ties, Western Integration

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Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius is in Georgia for talks on issues including Georgia's efforts to integrate with NATO and the European Union.

Russia Urges West Not to Back Kiev After Violence Spikes in Ukraine 

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Russia blamed Kiev on Monday for a surge in violence in southeastern Ukraine and urged the West not to show its support with actions such as imposing new sanctions on Moscow.

Лавров: Россия готова задействовать "квартет" посредников для арабо-израильского урегулирования - Вести.Ru

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Вести.Ru

Лавров: Россия готова задействовать "квартет" посредников для арабо-израильского урегулирования
Вести.Ru
Российско-израильское взаимодействие имеет особое значение в ближневосточном урегулировании. Об этом заявил глава МИД России Сергей Лавров на встрече с израильским коллегой Авигдором Либерманом. "Наши связи имеют глубокие исторические корни. Сегодня мы сделаем ...

и другие »
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Ruble hit as Obama slams Russia 'bullying' - CNBC

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CNBC

Ruble hit as Obama slams Russia 'bullying'
CNBC
The greenback appreciated to 65.5660 against the Russian currency in morning trade on Monday after ending Friday's session at 64.0100. This was a 2.4 percent jump during the morning session and was due to an "increased sanctions risk" and the lower ...

U.S. 'Cannot Stop' Russian Nuclear Missiles - Deputy Prime Minister 

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U.S. missile defense "cannot stop" Russia's nuclear weapons, a top minister said, in an apparent reversal of Moscow's policy of slamming U.S. anti-missile capability as a dire threat to Russian security.

Russia warns West not to blackmail it over Ukraine - Reuters

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Reuters

Russia warns West not to blackmail it over Ukraine
Reuters
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia blamed Kiev on Monday for a surge in fighting in Ukraine and warned the West that any attempt to increase economic pressure on Moscow would be "absolutely destructive" blackmail. Pro-Moscow separatists, backed by what ...
Obama on Russia: 'Large countries don't bully smaller countries'CNN International
Russia defiant after more threats from West over UkraineYahoo News
US, EU Threaten New Russia Sanctions Over UkraineVoice of America

all 5,460 news articles »

Russia warns West not to blackmail it over Ukraine - Yahoo News

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Voice of America

Russia warns West not to blackmail it over Ukraine
Yahoo News
"Russia has never agreed with such threats and such threats and blackmail have never led to anything and never will ... renewed threats of increased economic pressure on Russia are an absolutely destructive, unjustified and ultimately short-sighted ...
US, EU Threaten New Russia Sanctions Over UkraineVoice of America
Obama on Russia: 'Large countries don't bully smaller countries'CNN International
Russia dismisses "hysteria" over Ukraine bloodshedCBS News
ABC News
all 2,204 news articles »

Russia Defiant After More Threats From West Over Ukraine - U.S. News & World Report

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U.S. News & World Report

Russia Defiant After More Threats From West Over Ukraine
U.S. News & World Report
That confrontational rhetoric came in the wake of Western threats that Russia would face further sanctions for its actions in east Ukraine, where 30 people were killed by rocket fire in the coastal city of Mariupol on Saturday. There was no fighting in ...
Threat Of New Sanctions Against Russia Sends The Ruble TumblingBusiness Insider
US, EU Threaten New Russia Sanctions Over UkraineVoice of America
Ruble hit as Obama slams Russia 'bullying'CNBC 
Reuters-
 Wall Street Journal- CNN International
all 2,482 
news articles »

Ukraine Live Day 343: Russian-Backed Forces Resume Attacks In Mariupol Area 

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Yesterday’s live coverage of the Ukraine conflict can be found here. An archive of our liveblogs can be found here. For an overview and analysis of this developing story see our latest podcast.
Please help The Interpreter to continue providing this valuable information service by making a donation towards our costs.

View Ukraine: April, 2014 in a larger map
For links to individual updates click on the timestamps.
For the latest summary of evidence surrounding the shooting down of flight MH17 see our separate article: Evidence Review: Who Shot Down MH17?

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Demis Roussos dead: Famous Greek singer dies aged 68

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Demis Roussos, the internationally acclaimed Greek singer, died early on Sunday morning aged 68.

Польша призвала жестко ответить России на обострение кризиса на Украине - РБК

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Комсомольская правда

Польша призвала жестко ответить России на обострение кризиса на Украине
РБК
Президент Польши Бронислав Коморовский призвал рассмотреть возможность ужесточения санкций в отношении России. Это заявление было сделано после того, как Запад обвинили Россию в причастности к обстрелу Мариуполя, в результате которого погибли 30 человек.
Президент Польши призвал ЕС обдумать ужесточение санкций против РоссииВедомости
Президент Польши требует от ЕС ужесточения санкций против РоссииКомсомольская правда
Президент Польши требует
 
ужесточить санкции против РФНТВ.ru

Версии.сомУкраинское национальное информагентство-Аргументы и факты 
Все похожие статьи: 54 »

Poll: 39% of Russians 'Understand' Logic of Charlie Hebdo Attackers 

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Thirty-nine percent of Russians familiar with the recent shootings at French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo said they "understood" how the gunmen could have perpetrated the act, while another 5 percent said they "approved" of the massacre, a state pollster revealed Monday.

Kremlin Cries Blackmail As West Presses Russia To Rein In Rebels 

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Western governments stepped up pressure on Moscow to rein in Russian-backed separatists as the casualty toll mounted on January 26 after the rebels announced a new offensive in eastern Ukraine.

'Young, Talented' Russian Actor Reportedly Dies Fighting For IS

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For the past two days, Russian mainstream, Muslim, and social media have been abuzz with the news that a popular 31-year-old Russian actor has been reported killed fighting alongside IS militants in Syria.

U.S., Europe Threaten Russia With Costs as Violence Spirals in Ukraine 

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Russian-backed rebels pushed forward on Monday with a new offensive after a five-month cease-fire, bringing U.S. and European threats of tighter Western financial sanctions against Moscow.
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Глава МИД Израиля прибыл в Россию с официальным визитом - ИА REGNUM

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Глава МИД Израиля прибыл в Россию с официальным визитом
ИА REGNUM
В ходе визита Либерман встретится с главой МИД России Сергеем Лавровым. Стороны обсудят вопросы урегулирования палестино-израильского конфликта, ситуацию в Сирии, а также обменяются мнениями относительно положения дел на Ближнем Востоке. Запланирована также ...

и другие »

Suspected US Drone Strike Kills Al-Qaida Militants in Yemen

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A suspected U.S. drone strike on a car in eastern Yemen killed three men believed to be al-Qaida militants on Monday, officials said, suggesting U.S. security operations are continuing despite a political crisis in the volatile Arab country. President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government quit on Thursday in a confrontation with an Iranian-allied armed group, depriving Washington of a staunch ally in its campaign against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The attack by a remotely piloted plane in Marib province, in Yemen's eastern desert, was the first since the departure of Hadi, and signals Washington's campaign against AQAP is continuing, at least in its use of drones. AQAP claimed responsibility for deadly shootings in Paris on Jan. 7 and U.S. officials fear al-Qaida will gain strength in Yemen's current power vacuum. The upheaval and subsequent resignations by the Yemen's president and his cabinet prompted the United States to close its embassy in Sana'a to the public beginning Monday. "We are continuously analyzing the security conditions and will resume consular operations as soon as our analysis indicates we are able to do so safely," read a statement on the mission's website. US program Two U.S. security officials said on Friday the collapse of the U.S.-backed government had left America's counter-terrorism campaign "paralyzed," dealing a major setback to U.S. efforts to undermine one of al-Qaida's most potent wings. President Barack Obama on Sunday defended his drone-based strategy against AQAP, saying the alternative would be to deploy U.S. troops, which was not sustainable. Shi'ite Muslim Houthi militiamen seized the capital Sana'a in September, becoming Yemen's dominant political faction, and now run the capital and several other parts of the country. Last week they seized the presidential palace and besieged Hadi in his residence in a dispute about the constitution that ended with Hadi's resignation. The fighters, bedecked in tribal robes and automatic weapons, have set up checkpoints throughout the city. On Monday, Houthi gunmen and supporters stormed the capital's main university to detain several of the 200 or so protesters demonstrating against their rule. A group of activists who took part in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising in Yemen, which ousted Hadi's predecessor, veteran autocrat Ali Abdullah Saleh, warned in an open letter on Monday that the Houthi takeover could destroy the Yemeni state and dash their hopes for a transition to democracy. “This path increases the chances of armed conflict which can only result in a civil war and fragment the country on fanatical sectarian and regional lines, putting an end to the dream of Yemenis for a civil state,” the activists wrote. Houthi successes The Houthis, from the remote northern mountains, made steady gains southward last year and finally seized Sana'a, aided, diplomats say, by the inaction of army units loyal to Saleh. While the Houthis said their takeover was a second revolution aimed at ousting corrupt officials, some activists fear they are an Iranian proxy working with the former president to settle scores and become new kingmakers. “Just as in 2011, we are using peaceful means in confronting these militias,” said Fayez Noman, a socialist protester near Sanaa University, standing near the center of the old uprising dubbed “Change Square” now sealed off by gunmen. “We will continue to take to the streets every day. We have no other option.” Fanning out to majority Sunni areas in the country's west and center, the Houthis have met resistance from tribes allied with AQAP, leading to an uptick in deadly sectarian combat. Six Houthi fighters were killed in ambush on their car by local gunmen on Monday, tribal sources said.

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Is Greek government debt really 177% of GDP?

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Security Forces Raid Crimean Tatar TV Station

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In Crimea, armed, masked security forces raided the headquarters of the only TV station on the Russian-controlled peninsula broadcasting in the Tatar language. ATR television said that Russia’s Investigative Committee, along with counter-terrorism officials, were looking for materials relating to a Tatar protest last year. Human rights groups say some Crimean Tatars have faced discrimination and abuse for opposing Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. (RFE/RL)

Orthodox Churches Rapidly Giving Way to Mosques in Russia’s North Caucasus 

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Paul Goble

 

            Staunton, January 26 – The Russian Orthodox metropolitanate of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk says that over the last 20 years, some 6,000 mosques have been built in that region for its six million Muslims while only 600 churches have been erected for its three million Russian speakers.

 

That means there is now one mosque for every 1000 Muslim residents but only one for every 5,000 Russian ones, an imbalance that is increasing as a result of Russian flight, the growth of the Muslim population, and both financial and personnel problems, and a trend that gives every sign of continuing and even increasing in the future.

 

            Svetlana Bolotnikova of “Kavkazskaya politika” cites this report at the beginning of her report on relations between the two communities, pointedly noting that mosques are growing “like mushrooms” after a spring rain but that Orthodox churches are rising “only slowly like oaks” over many years (kavpolit.com/articles/tri_mecheti_na_odnu_tserkvushku-13337/).

 

            In many places, there are no problems, but in others, there are and on both sides. Many Cossacks are unhappy with the fact that in places where before 1917, there were Orthodox churches for them, there are no such churches now, even though there are often mosques for each ethnic group; and neither Moscow nor republic officials have been prepared to help build them.

 

            And many Muslims have been angered not only by the opposition of many Russians to the construction of mosques in cities of the North Caucasus where there are now large numbers of the followers of Islam but also by the fact that the Orthodox typically see the absence of mosques in Moscow and elsewhere as something entirely natural.

 

            The main reason there aren’t any churches being built is that there are no congregants. In many places, where there was once a thriving Russian community. Now, there are only a handful of people left, and thus there is no one to build one. And Russians say that building a church will do nothing to halt of reverse that trend.

 

            In addition, there are too few Orthodox priests available. “Far from all of them want to go to Daghestan and Chechnya,” according to a spokesman for the Makhachkala bishopric. A regional seminary might help, but there is little interest now in organizing one – and it would have an impact only many years from now when there will be even fewer Russians.

 

           

 
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Independent Greeks: Who are Syriza's right-wing coalition partners and what do they want?

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Socialist party Syriza might have won a surprising victory in Greece’s elections but it will only be able to govern with the help of the Independent Greeks, an unlikely coalition partner described by some as the country's equivalent of Ukip.
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EU terror chief warns on returning jihadis

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Wholesale jailing of returnees an ‘invitation to radicalisation’, says official

Under New Belarus Law, 'Little Green Men' Would Mean War

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Belarus has adopted legislation under which the appearance of armed foreign forces on the country's soil will be considered an act of aggression regardless of whether they are regular troops.

News Analysis: How Syriza's Win Could Change EU Policy On Russia 

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The electoral victory by Greece's far-left Syriza party is already shaking up Europe's financial markets, but the impact on EU foreign policy could be equally important.

chechen battalion ukraine - Google Search

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  • Chechens Terrorists Arrested in France with Ukraine ...

    <a href="http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f75_1421848989" rel="nofollow">www.liveleak.com/view?i=f75_1421848989</a>
    LiveLeak
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    5 days ago - A promotional video by the Chechen Emirate promoting the "Beardless Jihad" ... orginated from Chechens fighting in Ukraine's Volunteer Battalions and to have
  • French Police Suspect Ukraine Volunteer Battalion Origin of ...

    <a href="http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=531_1421335399" rel="nofollow">www.liveleak.com/view?i=531_1421335399</a>
    LiveLeak
    Loading...
    Jan 15, 2015 - terrorist act Said Kouachi, Cherif Kouachi and Hamyd Mourad with the UkrainianVolunteer Sheikh Mansur Battalion run by Isa Munaev a former Chechen ...
  • Ukraine War • A Chechen-Russian regular army infantry ...

    <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y46xkb4MeFs" rel="nofollow">www.youtube.com/watch?v=y46xkb4MeFs</a>
    Jan 6, 2015 - Uploaded by hena vera
    Ukraine War • A Chechen-Russian regular army infantry battalion gets a briefing in Ukraine Ukraine War • A ...
  • French Police Suspect Ukraine Volunteer Battalion Origin of Charlie Hebdo Massacre AK-47's

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    French Police have asked their Ukrainian counterparts for information regarding the potential Ukrainian origin of AK-47 weapons used in the recent Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris France.
    The request comes after French investigation have revealed links between the perpetrators of the
    terrorist act Said Kouachi, Cherif Kouachi and Hamyd Mourad with the Ukrainian Volunteer Sheikh Mansur Battalion run by Isa Munaev a former Chechen associate of slain Islamic State in Syria leader Sheik Omar al-Shishani. Munaev is suspected of running a smuggling operation whereby weapons from the Ukraine conflict are being smuggled into Europe via returning Volunteer fighters and sold to collectors and potential in this case have fallen into the hands of terrorists.
    The Ukrainian Volunteer Sheikh Mansur Battalion is a Muslim volunteer battalion made up of mostly European based Chechen fighters who fought under former Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov and before arriving in Ukraine were fighting with the Free Syrian Army and the Fighting Islamic Group of Libya.
    French Police are investigation weather French based fighters who have fought with the Sheikh Manur Battalion in Ukraine and who have proven links with the Kouchi brothers and Mourad may have smuggled military grade equipment from Ukraine after fighting with the unit during the recent European summer.

    Links between Ukrainians and Chechens fighters now fighting with the al-Qaeda linked Al Nusra front and the Islamic State go back to the first two Chechen Wars where volunteers from the Ukraine Nationalist Association Viking Unit led by Oleksandr Muzychko who was killed by Ukrainian anti-terror police in 2014.
    Slain Islamic State leader Sheik Omar al-Shishani also fought with Muzychko’s Viking Unit as a Georgian Special Force’s Officer. Photos from that era indicate that a Islamic State colleague of Sheik Omar al-Shishani was also a colleague of Muzychko’s Viking Unit during the First Chechen War.

    Oleksandr Muzychko 1995 in Chechnya and Omar al-Shishani in Syria 2013 with the same associate.
    For full article see [url] https://theother14.wordpress.com/2015/01/15/french-police-suspect-ukrainian-volunteer-battalion-origion-for-charlie-hebdo-ak47s/[/url]
    also see Analysis22.09.2014
    Islamic terrorists are helping Kiev
    Читать далее: http://en.ukraina.ru/analytics/20140922/1010558334.html
    More info on Chechen fighting in Ukraine Sheikh Manur
    Battalion can be found here [url]http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=43062&amp;amp;no_cache=1#.VLfF9HvQM2Q[/url]
    More info on Ukrainians fighting in Chechnya can be found
    here [url]http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=3198&amp;amp;no_cache=1[/url]
    Read the whole story
     
    · · ·

    Ukraine rebels move to encircle government troops in new advance

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    KIEV/ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - Russian-backed rebels advanced to encircle a Ukrainian army garrison town on Monday in a new offensive that has again unleashed all-out war after a five-month ceasefire and brought threats of new Western sanctions against Moscow.
    The United States and the European Union are considering new measures after accusing Russia of openly supporting the latest rebel advance with money, arms and troops on the ground.
    Ambassadors of NATO countries and Ukraine met in Brussels on Monday to discuss a response to the fighting, their first such emergency meeting since August.
    Moscow denies playing a military role. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Kiev of prolonging the conflict by refusing to talk to the rebels.
    In a provocative new charge, Putin also said a "foreign NATO legion" was fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. NATO called the accusation "nonsense" and said the only foreign troops in Ukraine were Russians.
    The government in Kiev ordered a state of emergency across the two rebel-dominated provinces and placed all Ukrainian territory on high alert.
    Its military said seven Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and 24 wounded in intensified clashes in the past 24 hours, with heavy fighting at Debaltseve, a small town the rebels have vowed to encircle to safeguard their main strongholds.
    Violence in eastern Ukraine is at by far its worst since a ceasefire was agreed last September. Casualties have mounted, including in the big government-held port of Mariupol where Kiev says 30 civilians were killed in rebel shelling on Saturday.
    After months during which the truce was punctured by small-scale skirmishes on the front line, rebels fighting for territory the Kremlin calls "New Russia" said last week they were left with no choice but to launch an advance. Their main aim, they say, is to push back government forces that had been shelling rebel-held cities.
    The Kiev government sees the rebel advance as a repudiation of the ceasefire, restarting a war in which 5,000 people have been killed. Kiev and NATO believe thousands of Russian troops are in eastern Ukraine fighting on the rebels' behalf with advanced weapons, despite Moscow's denials.
    "Rebels are constantly attacking Ukrainian government positions across the conflict zone with artillery, mortars, grenade launchers, tanks," Kiev military spokesman Volodymyr Polyovy said at a televised briefing.
    The rebels are targeting Debaltseve, a town with a population of around 26,000 that straddles the main road and train line between the two principal rebel strongholds, Donetsk and Luhansk. They say the government garrison there allows Kiev's guns to menace civilian areas.
    "Look on the map. There is a so-called 'Debaltseve tongue'," separatist deputy commander Eduard Basurin told Reuters by telephone, referring to a kink in the frontline where the government holds the town. The rebel goal was "to push (government forces) further back from us, from settlements, and straighten the (front) line," he said.
    He denied that the rebels had launched any assault on Mariupol, the port of 500,000 people which is by far the biggest government-held city in the two rebel dominated provinces. "We have no offensive there. On the city itself – absolutely none."
    SMASHED UP
    Ivan, a 35-year-old who fled Debaltseve months ago but spoke earlier on Monday to relatives inside the town, said it was almost entirely surrounded by the rebel advance.
    "It's been almost impossible to get through for the past 48 hours. The road is being shot up by separatists. There is no electricity, no water. The hospital is all smashed up and the shops aren't working," said Ivan, who declined to use his surname for security reasons.
    "Ukrainian troops are still holding on in the town, but the question is how long they can hold on without more support."
    The military has reported civilian casualties at Debaltseve without giving any figures.
    After months during which European politicians discussed whether to start easing sanctions on Russia, the return of fighting has suddenly shifted the debate to how to tighten them. Sanctions and the falling oil price have caused serious economic damage to Russia, with the rouble currency tumbling over the course of the past two months.
    The European Union has summoned foreign ministers of its 28 member states to an emergency meeting on Thursday.
    U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday Washington was considering all options short of military action to respond to "the aggression that these separatists - with Russian backing, Russian equipment, Russian financing, Russian training and Russian troops - are conducting."
    Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said Washington has "more tools" to put pressure on Moscow. Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hinted at further sanctions, saying an assault on government-held Mariupol would demand a European response.
    Moscow maintains Kiev is to blame for the latest fighting for refusing to pull its heavy weapons from the front and negotiate directly with the rebels.
    "Unfortunately, Ukrainian authorities are refusing a peaceful solution. They don't want political efforts," Putin told a group of students on Monday in St Petersburg. In a new charge, he spoke of a "NATO foreign legion" fighting alongside government troops.
    "There are official divisions of the armed forces but to a great extent there are so-called voluntary nationalist battalions. This is not even an army, it's a foreign legion. In this case it's a foreign NATO legion," Putin said.
    NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg dismissed the accusation as "nonsense". "There is no NATO legion," he told reporters. "The foreign forces in Ukraine are Russian."
    It remains to be seen how far the rebels intend to push their advance. Western governments that suspect the Kremlin's hand is behind the rebels have long said they believe Putin's goal is a stable "frozen conflict" on Ukrainian territory.
    If so, the present advance may be intended mainly to push government troops further from Donetsk and Luhansk, to make those two strongholds more secure.
    Mariupol could also be a tempting prize: capturing it would link rebel-held Donetsk with the sea and Crimea, a peninsula annexed by Russia last year. But any battle for the large port would involve urban warfare on a scale unprecedented so far in the conflict. Rebels halted at Mariupol's gates during their last big offensive, before the ceasefire in September.
    (Additional reporting by Alessandra Prentice and Lina Kushch in Kiev, Adrian Croft in Brussels; Writing by Peter Graff; editing by Giles Elgood and Peter Millership)
    Read the whole story
     
    · · · · ·
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    Page 7

    Russia warns West not to blackmail it over Ukraine

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    By Gabriela Baczynska
    MOSCOW Mon Jan 26, 2015 6:48am EST
    MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia blamed Kiev on Monday for a surge in fighting in Ukraine and warned the West that any attempt to increase economic pressure on Moscow would be "absolutely destructive" blackmail.
    Pro-Moscow separatists, backed by what NATO says are Russian troops, have launched an offensive in southeastern Ukraine and President Barack Obama said Washington was considering all options short of military action to isolate Russia.
    Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any Russian involvement in the fighting and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the West of whipping up anti-Russian hysteria to justify extending economic sanctions against Moscow.
    "Instead of increasing pressure on those who refuse to engage in dialogue to resolve the conflict peacefully, we see renewed talks about blackmailing Russia economically," RIA news agency quoted Peskov as saying.
    "Russia has never agreed with such threats and such threats and blackmail have never led to anything and never will ... renewed threats of increased economic pressure on Russia are an absolutely destructive, unjustified and ultimately short-sighted approach."
    Lavrov said the separatists in Ukraine were responding to attacks by government forces and the only way forward was through direct dialogue.
    "We see attempts to derail the peace process and attempts again and again by the Kiev leadership to solve the problem by using force to suppress the southeast. These attempts lead nowhere," Lavrov told a news conference.
    The European Union has called an emergency meeting of foreign ministers of its 28 member states for Thursday.
    "We expect our Western partners ... not to do anything that gives the Kiev authorities the impression that all their actions automatically will win support in the West," Lavrov said.
    He accused the West of "chronic" finger-pointing at Moscow over the Ukraine conflict, in which more than 5,000 people have been killed in more than nine months of fighting.
    Lavrov said it would have been naive to believe the separatists would accept being shelled by government forces without responding.
    He said the rebels had started actions to "eliminate the positions from which the Ukrainian armed forces had shelled populated areas with heavy weapons".
    (Additional reporting by Lidia Kelly and Polina Devitt, Writing by Timothy Heritage, editing by Elizabeth Piper)
    Read the whole story
     
    · ·

    Ruble hit as Obama slams Russia 'bullying'

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    President Barack Obama delivers remarks on December 11, 2014 in Washington.
    Getty Images
    President Barack Obama delivers remarks on December 11, 2014 in Washington.
    The price of the Russian ruble fell sharply against the U.S. dollar Monday after fighting increased in the eastern part of Ukraine and U.S. President Barack Obama raised the prospect of further sanctions against Moscow.
    The greenback appreciated to 65.5660 against the Russian currency in morning trade on Monday after ending Friday's session at 64.0100. This was a 2.4 percent jump during the morning session and was due to an "increased sanctions risk" and the lower price of oil according to a note by Timothy Ash, head of emerging market research at Standard Bank. Russian stocks on the Russian MICEX index were lower by 2.5 percent at 9:30 a.m. GMT on Monday.
    The weekend saw heightened tensions in the region of Mariupol with the current cease-fire being put further under strain following a rocket attack Saturday. Seven Ukrainian serviceman have been killed in the last 24 hours, according to the military spokesperson Vladislav Seleznyov who was quoted by Reuters, with 24 being wounded.
    The rocket attack in the Ukrainian city has been strongly condemned by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who said Saturday that the attack appeared to have been launched indiscriminately into civilian areas, constituting a violation of international humanitarian law. 
    Speaking on a trip to India, Obama said Sunday that the U.S. would promote a "core principle" of making sure that "large countries don't bully smaller countries" and said it would continue to support Ukraine's ability to control its own territory.
    "We are deeply concerned about the latest break in the cease-fire and the aggression that these separatists -- with Russian backing, Russian equipment, Russian financing, Russian training and Russian troops -- are conducting," he said.
    "I will look at all additional options that are available to us short of a military confrontation in trying to address this issue."
    Ukraine was thrown into turmoil at the start of last year, after protests between anti-government and pro-EU demonstrators led to a change of leadership. Tensions on the streets of Kiev turned into military conflicts on the eastern border, with Moscow accused of aiding pro-Kremlin rebels in the region.
    From mid-April to mid-December last year, over 4,700 people were killed and 10,300 were wounded in the fighting, according to the latest statistics by the United Nations. Russia annexed the southern Ukrainian area of Crimea in March 2014 and, as a result, has faced tough economic sanctions from Western nations.
    Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, responded to the increased fighting on Monday, accusing Kiev of disrupting the peace process and saying that such attempts would have no prospects, according to the Russian Interfax news agency. 
    Meanwhile, the escalation of violence has led to European Union foreign ministers to meet this Thursday for an extraordinary foreign affairs council session. Obama added that the U.S. will be in close consultation with our international partners, and particularly European partners, to assure that they stay in "lockstep with us on this issue."
    Standard Bank's Ash believes that there is now little hope that sanctions against Russia will be quickly lifted, if at all this year, and suggests that it is more likely that further sanctions will be rolled out.
    "Obama again signaled that (further sanctions) would need to be in conjunction with the U.S.' European allies, which would suggest a slow process and no quick move up the sanctions gears," he said.
    Read the whole story
     
    · · · · ·

    US, EU Threaten New Russia Sanctions Over Ukraine - Voice of America

    1 Share

    Voice of America

    US, EU Threaten New Russia Sanctions Over Ukraine
    Voice of America
    President Barack Obama and European leaders are threatening new sanctions on Russia after pro-Russian rebels launched a deadly rocket attack on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. On a state visit to India Sunday, Obama said he would "ratchet up" ...
    Ruble hit as Obama slams Russia 'bullying'CNBC
    Russia warns West not to blackmail it over UkraineReuters
    Fears of Fresh Sanctions Hit Russian RubleWall Street Journal
    U.S. News & World Report -CBS News -CNN International
    all 2,302 news articles »

    Oligarch died owing UK £46m, court told

    1 Share
    Insolvency order made against estate of Boris Berezovsky

    Demis Roussos - Forever and Ever - YouTube

    1 Share
    Uploaded on Feb 10, 2009
    Title: Forever and Ever
    Artist: Demis Roussos
    Album: Forever and Ever
    Track: 1
    Year: 1973
    Genre: Pop

    Ever and ever forever and ever
    You'll be the one
    That shines on me
    Like the morning sun

    Ever and ever forever and ever
    You'll be my spring
    My rainbow's end
    And the song I sing

    Take me far beyond imagination
    You're my dream come true, my consolation

    (Ever and ever forever and ever)
    You'll be my dream
    My symphony
    My own lover's theme

    (Ever and ever forever and ever)
    My destiny
    Will follow
    You eternally

    (Musical Interlude)

    Take me far beyond imagination
    You're my dream come true, my consolation

    (Ever and ever forever and ever)
    You'll be the one
    That shines in me
    Like the morning sun

    (Ever and ever forever and ever)
    My destiny
    Will follow you
    Eternally
    Read the whole story
     
    · · · ·

    Once Extremely Popular In U.S.S.R., Singer Roussos Dead At 68 

    1 Share
    World-renowned Greek singer Demis Roussos died in Athens at the age of 68.
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    Russian Police Raids Tatar TV Station in Crimea 

    1 Share
    Russian law enforcement officials on Monday raided the premises of Tatar television station ATR in Crimea, triggering criticism from the OSCE, the European rights watchdog.

    Генсек НАТО опроверг утверждение Путина о «натовском легионе» на Украине - РБК

    1 Share

    Forbes Ukraine

    Генсек НАТО опроверг утверждение Путина о «натовском легионе» на Украине
    РБК
    То, что украинская армия – это «натовский легион», это – полная «чушь», считает генсек НАТО. По его словам, единственные иностранные войска, которые есть на Украине, из России. МИД России неоднократно заявлял об отсутствии российских войск на Украине. Генеральный ...
    Столтенберг и Могерини обсудят позицию ЕС по санкциям против РФРИА Новости
    Генсек НАТО обсудит антироссийские санкции с главой дипломатии ЕСГазета.Ru
    Генсек НАТО обвинил ополченцев в эскалации конфликта в ДонбассеНТВ.ru
    РБК Украина -СЕГОДНЯ -ЛІГА.net
    Все похожие статьи: 129 »

    After Long Legal Fight, Inquest Is Set to Begin in Death of Putin Critic - New York Times

    1 Share

    Daily Mail

    After Long Legal Fight, Inquest Is Set to Begin in Death of Putin Critic
    New York Times
    1, 2006, Mr. Litvinenko, a former officer of the Soviet K.G.B. in self-exile in London and a vocal critic of President Vladimir V. Putin, sipped tea from a poisoned pot, took sick and died 22 days later. Only after his death did British scientists ...
    Alexander Litvinenko's voice recording links Vladimir Putin and Semion MogilivechDaily Mail
    Is this Alexander Litvinenko's beyond the grave attack on Putin?Telegraph.co.uk
    Alexander Litvinenko poisoning: Footage emerges of ex-KGB spy accusing Putin ...The Independent 
    Business Insider-
     New Zealand Herald- Huewire News
    all 63 
    news articles »

    Putin the Spoiler - ABOUT US EDITOR'S NOTE About Us The Cairo Review of

    1 Share

    ABOUT US EDITOR'S NOTE About Us The Cairo Review of

    Putin the Spoiler
    ABOUT US EDITOR'S NOTE About Us The Cairo Review of
    The year 2014 will go down in history as the year when Russian leader Vladimir Putin kicked over the world chess board and destroyed the post-Cold War system of mutual security commitments. By demanding to reorder the system of the international ...
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    Pavel Felgenhauer: Putin's aim is to destroy Ukraine's independence, defeat West - Kyiv Post

    1 Share

    Kyiv Post

    Pavel Felgenhauer: Putin's aim is to destroy Ukraine's independence, defeat West
    Kyiv Post
    They have been given official guarantees by Putin that Russia will not allow them to be defeated and overrun. That was clear from June and July. The Ukrainian strategy of trying to close the border didn't make sense because it created a higher ...
    Putin Once Casually Said He Could Destroy America In A Half-HourBusiness Insider
    Russia's Nuclear Weapons In Ukraine? Vladimir Putin May Invade Using Crimea ...The Inquisitr
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    Barack Obama threatens Vladimir Putin over perceived Russia aggression ... - Mirror.co.uk

    1 Share

    Mirror.co.uk

    Barack Obama threatens Vladimir Putin over perceived Russia aggression ...
    Mirror.co.uk
    Barack Obama today threatened to use all measures - short of military action - to force VladimirPutin to back down over the Ukraine crisis. He vowed to “ratchet up pressure on Russia” amid fears the fighting in eastern Europe is worsening by the day ... 
    Modi listening, Obama assails Putin on UkraineThe Indian Express
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    Pavel Felgenhauer: Putin's aim is to destroy Ukraine's independence, defeat WestKyiv Post
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    all 5,452 news articles »
    Next Page of Stories
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    Page 9

    Modi listening, Obama assails Putin on Ukraine - The Indian Express

    1 Share

    The Indian Express

    Modi listening, Obama assails Putin on Ukraine
    The Indian Express
    About a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Russian President Vladimir Putinas the leader of a great nation with which India has a “friendship of unmatched mutual confidence”, US President Barack Obama on Sunday talked tough on Russia ...
    Bully jab at Putin from friend's soilCalcutta Telegraph
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    Путин, hello — Миша, goodbye - Новая газета

    1 Share

    Новая газета

    Путин, hello — Миша, goodbye
    Новая газета
    15 января Новицкий выступил на Марсовом поле на митинге в поддержку братьев Навальных. И не просто выступил, а спел свою новую песню «Путин, хэлло». А после этого у музыканта сорвались в Петербурге уже два выступления подряд — 22 и 25 января. Творческий фестиваль ... 

    и другие »

    Путин обсудил с Меркель ситуацию на Украине - Медиагруппа "Звезда"

    1 Share

    ТВ Центр - Официальный сайт телеканала

    Путин обсудил с Меркель ситуацию на Украине
    Медиагруппа "Звезда"
    Ситуация на Украине стала главной темой телефонного разговора ВладимираПутина с немецким канцлером. Ангела Меркель назвала недавний обстрел Мариуполя «неоправданным нарушением перемирия». Она призвала главу российского государства избежать дальнейшей ...
    Меркель обсудила с Путиным и Порошенко украинский кризисТВ Центр - Официальный сайт телеканала
    Меркель
     
    и Путин обсудили ситуацию на УкраинеInvesting.com Россия


    Все похожие статьи: 216 »

    Илларионов: Цель Путина – терактами и дефолтом довести Украину до кризиса, сместить Порошенко и ввести федеративный строй - GORDONUA.COM

    1 Share

    GORDONUA.COM

    Илларионов: Цель Путина – терактами и дефолтом довести Украину до кризиса, сместить Порошенко и ввести федеративный строй
    GORDONUA.COM
    Владимир Путин не собирается военным путем оккупировать всю Украину, его задача – довести страну до политического и экономического кризиса, изменить конституционный строй и таким образом установить полный контроль над Украиной, заявил в интервью "ГОРДОН" российский ...
    Путин считает своей миссией присоединить Украину к России, либо разрушить ее - ИлларионовОбозреватель

    Все похожие статьи: 16 »

    Putin: Ukraine army is NATO legion aimed at restraining Russia - RT

    1 Share

    RT

    Putin: Ukraine army is NATO legion aimed at restraining Russia
    RT
    The Ukrainian army is essentially a 'NATO legion' which doesn't pursue the national interests of Ukraine, but persists to restrict Russia, President Vladimir Putin says. “We often say: Ukrainian Army, Ukrainian Army. But who is reality fighting there ...
    Barack Obama threatens Vladimir Putin over perceived Russia aggression ...Mirror.co.uk
    Modi listening, Obama assails Putin on UkraineThe Indian Express
    McCully slates Russia, but shies away from attacking PutinStuff.co.nz
    Kyiv Post -Daily Mail -Business Insider Australia
    all 2,204 news articles »

    Путин: Киев не хочет мирного урегулирования - BBC Russian

    1 Share

    Вести.Ru

    Путин: Киев не хочет мирного урегулирования
    BBC Russian
    "Мы часто говорим: украинская армия, украинская армия. На самом деле, кто там воюет? Там действительно частично официальные подразделения вооруженных сил, но в значительной степени это так называемые "добровольческие националистические батальоны", - сказал Путин.
    Путин назвал украинскую армию "натовским легионом"Вести.Ru
    Путин: украинские власти избегают мирного урегулированияГазета.Ru
    Путин: Киев отказался идти по пути мирного урегулированияФедеральное агентство новостей No.1
    Аналитическое агентство "Русь Православная" -БалтИнфо.ru -Утро.Ru
    Все похожие статьи: 29 »
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    Путин назвал украинскую армию «иностранным натовским легионом» - РБК

    1 Share

    РБК

    Путин назвал украинскую армию «иностранным натовским легионом»
    РБК
    Деятельность украинской армии не соответствует интересам украинского народа и занимается сдерживанием России. Об этом на встрече со студентами Горного университета в Санкт-Петербурге заявил президент России Владимир Путин. По его словам, большая часть воюющих с ...
    Путин об отношениях Украина-НАТО: Украинская армия стала натовским легиономМосковский комсомолец
    Владимир Путин назвал украинскую армию иностранным легионом НАТОРадиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ
    Путин: армия Киева - Это, по сути, легион НАТОРИА Новости
    Взгляд -НТВ.ru
    Все похожие статьи: 72 »

    15 dead in school and market blast: Ukraine accuses Putin of 'personal responsibility' | World | News

    1 Share
    Oleksandr Turchynov, Mariupol, bombardment, defence council, putin, ukraine war, ukranian civil war, vladimir putin, crimea, Arseniy YatsenyukREUTERS
    76 civilians were wounded in the rocket attacks
    Russian separatists denied ripping up a peace agreement with Ukraine after the “barbaric bombardment” of the Ukranian port city of Mariupol yesterday.
    The dead included a 12-year-old girl. In total 76 civilians were wounded. In one street alone 33 were injured.
    Former Kiev acting president Oleksandr Turchynov, who now heads the country's national security and defence council, described it as "another bloody crime against humanity".
    Oleksandr Turchynov, Mariupol, bombardment, defence council, putin, ukraine war, ukranian civil war, vladimir putin, crimea, Arseniy YatsenyukREUTERS
    Turchynov, the former Acting President, has called for a 'deserving response' to the crimes
    In a meeting with his closest aides, he claimed it was “a direct realisation of tasks set by Putin”.
    He said: “It is Putin's personal responsibility for the death, blood and suffering of the Ukrainians."
    He vowed that Russia would "receive a deserving response for his bloody crimes.”
    The Asov sea port is vital to the extremists if Russua is to defy the west and create a land corridor across the Ukranian territory to Crimea.
    Oleksandr Turchynov, Mariupol, bombardment, defence council, putin, ukraine war, ukranian civil war, vladimir putin, crimea, Arseniy YatsenyukREUTERS
    A separtist source refuted claims that the militia had fired on Mariupol and its houses
    Ukrainian premier Arseniy Yatsenyuk called an emergency meeting of security officials in response to the attack.
    It comes as separatists denied responsibility for the carnage.
    A rebel source in Donetsk said: "This is clear misinformation. The forces of militia have not opened fire towards Mariupol or its houses.”
    He said the West was expoliting the Ukraine crisis to try and oust Putin from power.
    The EU and UN have appealed for a ceasefire but currently the conflict is worsening by the day. The latest deaths came as observers claim Putin is now more isolated than ever, cutting himself off from all buy a close coterie of hardline hawks with intelligence and military backgrounds.

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