A day after a cease-fire in Ukraine was scheduled to take effect and a day before a deadline for heavy weaponry to be pulled back from the frontline, heavy fighting continued in the government-held town of Debaltseve, a strategic railway hub that the separatists claim to have surrounded. Kiev said that five Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and another 25 wounded since the cease-fire started.
The Russia-backed separatists, who say they won't respect the cease-fire in Debaltseve because they believe the town is rightfully theirs, wouldn't let cease-fire monitors from the Organization from Security and Cooperation in Europe into the town on Sunday. On Monday, the European Union added 19 Ukrainians and Russians and nine organizations to its list of entities subject to economic sanctions. Those added included two Russia deputy defense ministers, several separatist commanders, and Russia's Frank Sinatra, Ukrainian-born singer Iosif Kobzon.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Magazine solutions - June 27, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - June 27, 2025
-
Magazine printables - June 27, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - June 27, 2025
-
Army commissions tech execs as officer recruitsIN THE SPOTLIGHT Some of the tech industry's most powerful players are answering the call of Uncle Sam
-
Are the UK and Russia already at war?Today's Big Question Moscow has long been on a 'menacing' war footing with London, says leading UK defence adviser
-
The secret lives of Russian saboteursUnder The Radar Moscow is recruiting criminal agents to sow chaos and fear among its enemies
-
Ukraine-Russia: is peace deal possible after Easter truce?Today's Big Question 'Decisive week' will tell if Putin's surprise move was cynical PR stunt or genuine step towards ending war
-
What's behind Russia's biggest conscription drive in years?Today's Big Question Putin calls up 160,000 men, sending a threatening message to Ukraine and Baltic states
-
Is the 'coalition of the willing' going to work?Today's Big Question PM's proposal for UK/French-led peacekeeping force in Ukraine provokes 'hostility' in Moscow and 'derision' in Washington
-
Can Ukraine make peace with Trump in Saudi Arabia?Talking Point Zelenskyy and his team must somehow navigate the gap between US president's 'demands and threats'
-
Ukraine: where do Trump's loyalties really lie?Today's Big Question 'Extraordinary pivot' by US president – driven by personal, ideological and strategic factors – has 'upended decades of hawkish foreign policy toward Russia'
-
Is Europe's defence too reliant on the US?Today's Big Question As the UK and EU plan to 're-arm', how easy will it be to disentangle from US equipment and support?
