KIEV, Aug. 6 - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen may visit Kiev on August 7, according to the mission of Ukraine to NATO.

BRUSSELS, Aug. 5 – Former President Viktor Yanukovych, his two sons - Viktor and Oleksandr, and businessman Serhiy Kurchenko have appealed to the European Court in Luxembourg against the sanctions imposed by the European Union on them.

KIEV, Aug 6 - Russia has massed around 20,000 combat-ready troops on Ukraine's border and could use the pretext of a humanitarian mission to invade, NATO said on Wednesday, its starkest warning yet that Moscow could soon mount a ground assault against its neighbor, Reuters reported.

KIEV, Aug. 5 – Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk and Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade & Industry Toshimitsu Motegi on Tuesday in Kiev discussed bilateral relations and Russia's aggression vis-a-vis Ukraine, the Ukrainian government's press service reported on Tuesday.

KIEV, Aug. 6 – The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has initiated the creation of the Chernobyl Biosphere Reserve, minister Andriy Mokhnyk said at a briefing.

KIEV, Aug. 7 - Ukraine has called on France not to transfer the two Mistral-class helicopter carriers that are being built under a contract with Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vasyl Zvarych said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 - U.S. and EU sanctions against Russia are working, and the United States expects Moscow to take steps to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine, U.S. President Barack Obama said.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday Ukraine did not need additional military assistance to help fight insurgents in the eastern part of the country but a Russian invasion would raise "a different set of questions," Reuters reported.

KIEV, Aug. 7 - A native of eastern Ukraine on Thursday replaced a Russian as leader of separatists in their stronghold of Donetsk, in a move aimed at blunting Western accusations the rebellion is being run by Moscow, Reuters reported.

KIEV, Aug. 8 – Prime Minister Mykola Azarov threatened to fire local officials who had quietly moved to increase housing and utilities prices in several regions over the past month.