That concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for today. Please check back here tomorrow morning for more of our continuing coverage. Thanks for reading.
Security in eastern Ukraine deteriorating, monitors say
Berlin/Kiev (dpa) - The situation in eastern Ukraine has deteriorated significantly in the last week, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) warned Sunday, with heavy weaponry such as tanks and howitzers spotted along the front lines.
Such weapons were supposed to have been removed according to an agreement signed by the government and pro-Russian separatists in February, the deputy head of the Ukraine mission, Alexander Hug, said during a visit to the port city of Mariupol.
There had been an alarming increase in the number of rebel and government checkpoints, which were becoming targets for attacks and therefore endangering civilians stuck in the queues of cars that build up at them, Hug said.
Fighting was reported in the contested regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, while both sides accused the other of violating the ceasefire.
At least five government soldiers were killed when a landmine in the conflict zone exploded, a presidential spokesman said Sunday in Kiev, adding that 10 other troops have been injured in fighting over the past 24 hours.
In Berlin, a government document seen by dpa showed that the German Army, the Bundeswehr, plans to take part in two military operations in Ukraine this summer.
The plan was to have "individual personnel" take part in the ground exercise Rapid Trident as well as the marine exercise Sea Breeze, a written reply by the Foreign Office to an opposition request in parliament said.
The Bundeswehr took part in the same manoeuvres in 2014 in spite of the conflict between pro-Russian separatists and government forces in east Ukraine. Moscow protested the operations at the time.
Rapid Trident is scheduled to take place in Yavoriv in western Ukraine 50 kilometres from Lviv and is expected to involve 1,800 troops from 18 countries, a significant increase on the 1,200 that took part past year.
The United States-led operation is expected to last 11 days and is due to be launched with an official ceremony on July 20.
Sea Breeze, a joint US-Ukraine operation, is expected to last from August 31 to September 12 in the Black Sea.
Germany to take part in military manoeuvres in Ukraine
Berlin (dpa) -- The German Army, the Bundeswehr, plans to take part in two military operations in Ukraine this summer, according to a government document seen by dpa on Sunday.
The plan was to have "individual personnel" take part in the ground exercise Rapid Trident as well as the marine exercise Sea Breeze, a written reply by the Foreign Office to an opposition request in parliament said.
The Bundeswehr took part in the same manoeuvres in 2014 in spite of the conflict between pro-Russian separatists and government forces in east Ukraine. Moscow protested the operations at the time.
Rapid Trident is scheduled to take place in Yavoriv in western Ukraine 50 kilometres from Lviv and is expected to involve 1,800 troops from 18 countries, a significant increase on the 1,200 that took part past year.
The United States-led operation is expected to last 11 days and is due to be launched with an official ceremony on July 20.
Sea Breeze, a joint US-Ukraine operation, is expected to last from August 31 to September 12 in the Black Sea.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) warned on Sunday that the situation in east Ukraine had deteriorated significantly over the previous week.
Heavy weaponry like tanks and howitzers had been spotted by OSCE observers along the front, the deputy head of the mission to Ukraine, Alexander Hug, said during a visit to the port city of Mariupol.
Such weapons were supposed to have been removed from the front according to an agreement signed by both sides in February.
Hug also said there had been an alarming increase in the number of rebel and government checkpoints, which were becoming targets for attacks and therefore endangering civilians stuck in the queues of cars that build up at them.
Hug said the rebels had withdrawn from the fiercely fought-over village of Shyrokyne, 20 kilometres to the east of Mariupol, and that the place was now abandoned.
The OSCE has some 500 observers in the conflict region.