Registering a cow for the separatist voting.
From our newsroom:
NATO's top military commander, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, has said the elections held by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine do not correspond with a September 5 peace plan and will not improve the situation.
Breedlove, speaking at a news conference at the Pentagon on November 3, said Russia continues to resupply the pro-Moscow separatists in Ukraine, and estimated that some 250-300 Russian forces are still operating inside Ukraine.
He said the troops have no combat role and are mostly involved in training.
Breedlove said that the truce agreed by Ukraine and the pro-Russian separatists on September 5 as part of a peace plan remains "a cease-fire in name only."
He noted what he called a trend toward the hardening of the line of demarcation between Ukrainian government forces and the separatists, saying it "has become more defined."
At the same time, he said, the border between Ukraine and Russia has become "completely porous," allowing for the unhindered movement by the pro-Russian forces.
Don't miss the bonus takeaway! Great breakdown by @GKates:
Five Takeaways From Eastern Ukraine's Separatist Vote
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reports that soldiers at pro-Kyiv "Checkpoint 31" on the Bahmutka highway received an "ultimatum" this morning demanding that they surrender their weapons and vacate that and other checkpoints.
The warning was delivered by a local taxi driver "under a white flag."
There has been no official comment on the situation from Ukrainian government sources.
Checkpoint 31 was a fallback position for Ukrainian troops after Checkpoint 32 was lost to pro-Russian fighters.
It was the scene of this video report late last week by our correspondent Levko Stek:
Breedlove also says Russia continues to resupply separatists in Ukraine, estimating that some 250-300 Russian forces are still operating inside Ukraine, involved in training.
TOP NATO GENERAL SAYS RECENT RUSSIAN AIR INCURSIONS IN EUROPE INCLUDED MORE PLANES, MORE PROVOCATIVE FLIGHT PATH THAN PREVIOUS ONES
-- Reuters
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NATO's top military commander, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, says the elections held by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine do not correspond with a September 5 truce deal and will not improve the situation.