We are now closing the live blog for today. Join us again tomorrow for all the latest developments. Until then, you can catch up with all our other Ukraine coverage here.
Good morning,
As we often do, we'll start the live blog with a few of the things that caught our attention overnight:
And also this from the spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry:
Here's a new item from our news desk:
Lavrov Says U.S. Actions Threaten Russia's National Security
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that the United States has been taking "aggressive steps" that threaten Russia's national security.
"We have witnessed a fundamental change of circumstances when it comes to the aggressive Russophobia that now lies at the heart of U.S. policy toward Russia," Lavrov told Russian state TV’s Channel One, according to the text of his interview published on the Foreign Ministry's website.
"It's not just a rhetorical Russophobia, but aggressive steps that really hurt our national interests and pose a threat to our security,” Lavrov added.
The minister cited an increased U.S. military presence along Russia's borders, the deployment of a missile shield in Eastern Europe, and the sanctions imposed on Moscow for its actions in Ukraine.
Moscow's relations with the West have plunged to levels of acrimony unseen since the end of the Cold War following Russia's military seizure of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in March 2014 and an ensuing war between Kyiv's forces and Russia-backed separatists that has killed more than 9,500 people.
Based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax
Here is today's map of the latest situation in the Donbas conflict zone, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry (CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE):
