Donetsk Residents Record Alleged Phosphorus Shelling

Citizens of Donetsk have recorded multiple videos of white glowing particles raining on residential quarters. The locals allege that Ukraine's military has shelled their city with internationally prohibited phosphorus incendiaries.

On Thursday night, people in the Lenin district of the city of Donetsk saw a flow of white fire pouring down from the dark sky alongside the now-familiar sound of bombing, RIA Novosti reported.

They suspect these have been incendiary shells stuffed with white phosphorous, similar to those reportedly used by the military during the blockade of another eastern city of Slavyansk in June.

So far there have been no official reports from the scene about the results of the night shelling of Donetsk, which could confirm whether white phosphorous munitions have really been used against densely-populated areas.

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Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have pushed their way into the port of Novoazovsk, threatening to open up a new front in the war.

The mayor of the town on the Sea of Azov confirmed rebels had entered, as jubilant rebel supporters shared photos of advancing tanks on social media.

The rebels have been trying for weeks to break out of a near-encirclement further north in Donetsk.

Russia denies it is covertly supporting them on the ground.

The fighting came hours after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko promised a "roadmap" for peace in the east.

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A pro-Russian rebel leader in eastern Ukraine has said 3-4,000 Russian citizens are fighting in their ranks.

Alexander Zakharchenko told Russian TV many of the Russians were former servicepeople or current personnel on leave.

He was speaking as rebels captured the town of Novoazovsk and threatened to take the city of Mariupol, after opening a new front in the south-east.

Reports say they are advancing on the city, a key port on the Sea of Azov.

Ukraine says Russian forces have crossed the border and are supporting the rebel attack, but Moscow has repeatedly denied arming or covertly supporting the rebels.

There are suspicions that Russia wants to divert Ukrainian forces from the besieged cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, further north.

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BREAKING:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has cancelled a visit to Turkey, citing "Russian troop deployments" in the east of the country.

Mr Poroshenko said his place was in Kiev in view of a sharp deterioration in the situation in Donetsk region.

His announcement came as pro-Russian rebels captured the seaside town of Novoazovsk and threatened to take the strategic port city of Mariupol.

The rebel successes constitute the opening of a new front in the conflict.

Mr Poroshenko said he was calling a meeting of the Ukrainian security council.

He added that Ukraine would initiate an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the crisis.

"I have made a decision to cancel my working visit to the Republic of Turkey due to sharp aggravation of the situation in Donetsk region... as Russian troops were actually brought into Ukraine," Mr Poroshenko's statement said.

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Rights adviser to Putin says Russia 'invading' Ukraine

A member of President Vladimir Putin's advisory council on human rights, Ella Polyakova, said on Thursday she believed Russia was carrying out an invasion of Ukraine.

"When masses of people, under commanders' orders, on tanks, APCs and with the use of heavy weapons, (are) on the territory of another country, cross the border, I consider this an invasion," Polyakova told Reuters.



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Official says Russian forces invading Ukraine

A top Ukrainian army officer said a "full-scale invasion" of his country was under way Thursday, as a U.S. official said up to 1,000 Russian troops had crossed Ukraine's southern border to fight alongside pro-Russian rebels.

U.S. officials said Russian troops were directly involved in the latest fighting, despite Moscow's denials.

Rebels backed by Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers fought Ukrainian forces on two fronts Thursday: southeast of rebel-held Donetsk, and along the nation's southern coast in the town of Novoazovsk, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the Russian border, said Mykhailo Lysenko, the deputy commander of the Ukrainian Donbas battalion.

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Cygnet wrote Rights adviser to Putin says Russia 'invading' Ukraine

A member of President Vladimir Putin's advisory council on human rights, Ella Polyakova, said on Thursday she believed Russia was carrying out an invasion of Ukraine.

"When masses of people, under commanders' orders, on tanks, APCs and with the use of heavy weapons, (are) on the territory of another country, cross the border, I consider this an invasion," Polyakova told Reuters.



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Official says Russian forces invading Ukraine

A top Ukrainian army officer said a "full-scale invasion" of his country was under way Thursday, as a U.S. official said up to 1,000 Russian troops had crossed Ukraine's southern border to fight alongside pro-Russian rebels.

U.S. officials said Russian troops were directly involved in the latest fighting, despite Moscow's denials.

Rebels backed by Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers fought Ukrainian forces on two fronts Thursday: southeast of rebel-held Donetsk, and along the nation's southern coast in the town of Novoazovsk, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the Russian border, said Mykhailo Lysenko, the deputy commander of the Ukrainian Donbas battalion.

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I'd like to see some proof of Russian troops in Ukraine, the US can't even give proof because it's not true.

Putin is not stupid enough to do that. It would be a foolish mistake.

Kiev, E. Ukraine Militia Agree to Ceasefire Starting 1500 GMT

Kiev officials and representatives of the two self-proclaimed republics in southeastern Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire, as the contact group met behind closed doors in Belarus.

The two sides accompanied by representatives of Russia and the OSCE were meeting in the Belorussian capital, Minsk, in an attempt to end the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who is now in Wales for the NATO summit, has confirmed the ceasefire agreement on his Twitter account.

Explosions have been heard near the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, a day after the government and rebels agreed a ceasefire.

A BBC correspondent in the city says intense blasts from the eastern edges have rippled across the city.

Earlier, the Ukrainian and Russian presidents said the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine was "largely holding".

The Red Cross said aid trucks heading for the rebel-held city of Luhansk had turned back because of shelling.

The ceasefire deal was signed during talks between representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and pro-Russia rebels in Belarus and came into effect at 15:00 GMT on Friday.

There were no reports of major fighting in the east for the first 24 hours, but by Saturday evening the BBC's Fergal Keane tweeted from Mariupol that shelling had resumed.

There were explosions on the eastern fringes of the city close to government checkpoints, he said, and duels between artillery on both sides.

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Another Mass Grave Found in E. Ukraine

Another mass grave has been found in eastern Ukraine by the Donbass self-defence forces near Nyzhnia Krynka village, days after the OSCE confirmed the discovery of 3 mass burials in areas recently abandoned by Kiev forces.

The new site of suspected murders is not far from the town of Makeevka, Donetsk Peoples Republic first deputy Prime Minister Andrey Purgin told Itar-Tass. The number of bodies and their identities have yet to be determined.

Another grave discovered ... How many bodies and how these people died will be established during the exhumation, Purgin said.