21:54
23.4.2014
Barring any dramatic developments, we are now closing the live blog for today. Before you go, we'll leave you with another update from our news desk, this time with respect to gas supplies:
The European Commission says Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger will meet with Slovakian and Ukrainian ministers on April 24 in Bratislava to discuss the possibility of "reverse flows" to pump gas to Ukraine.
Oettinger's talks with Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan and Slovakian Economy Minister Tomas Malatinsky follow Russia's warning that it could cut gas supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv pays its energy bills, which Moscow says amount to $2.2 billion.
In a related development, the Interfax news agency reported that Russia has offered to host trilateral talks between the European Union, Russia, and Ukraine in Moscow on April 28 to discuss gas supplies to Europe.
The European Commission has not confirmed the timing of these talks.
About one-third of Europe's gas comes from Russia via Ukraine. A pricing dispute between Kyiv and Moscow in early 2009 caused a crisis over gas shortages in Europe.
Oettinger's talks with Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan and Slovakian Economy Minister Tomas Malatinsky follow Russia's warning that it could cut gas supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv pays its energy bills, which Moscow says amount to $2.2 billion.
In a related development, the Interfax news agency reported that Russia has offered to host trilateral talks between the European Union, Russia, and Ukraine in Moscow on April 28 to discuss gas supplies to Europe.
The European Commission has not confirmed the timing of these talks.
About one-third of Europe's gas comes from Russia via Ukraine. A pricing dispute between Kyiv and Moscow in early 2009 caused a crisis over gas shortages in Europe.
21:51
23.4.2014
RFE/RL' Ukrainian Service has some footage of the rally in Kharkiv today for a "United Ukraine." An estimated 2,000 people showed up for it (natural sound):
21:49
23.4.2014
20:30
23.4.2014
20:18
23.4.2014
@MiriamElder Surely it's progress if Pravda is now accepting the theoretical possibility that he's not?
— Mark Galeotti (@MarkGaleotti) April 23, 2014
19:57
23.4.2014
19:51
23.4.2014
19:47
23.4.2014
And now our news desk is reporting that there appears to be some confusion over the "liberation" of Sviatohirsk:
Ukraine's Interior Ministry says security forces have "liberated" an eastern town that it said was controlled by armed pro-Russian separatists.
However, reports say the town of Sviatohirsk had never actually been seized by rebels.
The Interior Ministry said April 23 that an operation took place on the outskirts of Sviatohirsk, and that no one was injured.
It said police were now patrolling the streets of the town, which is located not far from the rebel-held town of Slovyansk.
The Interior Ministry said Sviatohirsk has "strategic importance," as it is located on the border of three regions of eastern Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv.
The Reuters and AFP news agencies said there was no indication that the town had ever been under the control of armed pro-Russian separatists.
However, reports say the town of Sviatohirsk had never actually been seized by rebels.
The Interior Ministry said April 23 that an operation took place on the outskirts of Sviatohirsk, and that no one was injured.
It said police were now patrolling the streets of the town, which is located not far from the rebel-held town of Slovyansk.
The Interior Ministry said Sviatohirsk has "strategic importance," as it is located on the border of three regions of eastern Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv.
The Reuters and AFP news agencies said there was no indication that the town had ever been under the control of armed pro-Russian separatists.
19:35
23.4.2014
Some more military news from our news desk. This time it sounds like a bit of saber rattling over the North Sea:
Several NATO countries scrambled jets on April 23 after a pair of Russian bombers approached their airspace over the North Sea.
The Dutch Defense Ministry identified the planes as two Russian TU-95s. It said the Russian jets were escorted by aircraft from the Netherlands, Britain, and Denmark until they departed.
The British Defense Ministry said the Russian planes flew in international airspace at all times.
Both the British and the Dutch defense departments said similar incidents involving Russian jets have occurred before, including several in 2013.
The Reuters news agency cites defense analysts as saying Russia uses such surveillance flights to remind the world of its military power and to probe other countries' air defense systems.
The Dutch Defense Ministry identified the planes as two Russian TU-95s. It said the Russian jets were escorted by aircraft from the Netherlands, Britain, and Denmark until they departed.
The British Defense Ministry said the Russian planes flew in international airspace at all times.
Both the British and the Dutch defense departments said similar incidents involving Russian jets have occurred before, including several in 2013.
The Reuters news agency cites defense analysts as saying Russia uses such surveillance flights to remind the world of its military power and to probe other countries' air defense systems.
19:32
23.4.2014
@niktwick Yes, no separatists. It's a resort town of no strategic importance.
— Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) April 23, 2014