KIEV, July 27 – Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine’s most successful soccer player of recent times, announced on Saturday he has ended his sports carrier to join a political party running for Parliamentary seats at October 28 elections.

KIEV, July 27 – Russia is seeking to add new battleships and submarines to its Black Sea Fleet based in Ukraine and may use natural gas leverage to impose a respective agreement.

KIEV, July 28 – A three-way meeting between Ukraine, Russia and the European Union could make it clear whether it is possible to use pipelines running through the south of Ukraine as an alternative to the South Stream project, European Commissioner on Energy Gunther Oettinger said during a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov in Kiev on Wednesday, Interfax-Ukraine has learned from Vitaliy Lukyanenko, the press secretary of the Ukrainian premier.

KIEV, July 28 – President Viktor Yanukovych has signed a law providing for carrying out measures on preparations for hosting finals of the Euro 2012 European football championship in Ukraine, the presidential Web site reported on Wednesday.

KIEV, July 29 – Deputy Prime Minister Sergiy Tyhypko said he is convinced that the International Monetary Fund Stand-By Arrangement approved for Ukraine will boost the country's international sovereign ratings and bring in more foreign investment.

KIEV, July 29 – President Viktor Yanukovych met top law enforcement officials on Thursday to get a briefing on the investigation into a bomb explosion killed one and injured eight at a Ukrainian church on Wednesday.

KIEV, July 29 - The International Monetary Fund approved a $15.1 billion loan for Ukraine at a meeting late Wednesday after the government promised to cut its budget deficit and to hike household natural gas prices.

KIEV, July 29 – President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko appear to view differently progress that has been made last week in talks with the European Commission over lending for natural gas purchases.

KIEV, July 29 – Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday moved a step closer to a diplomatic war after Moscow announced it will expel two Ukrainian diplomats in retaliation for a similar action taken by Kiev.

KIEV, July 29 – Ukraine will seek to get its next $3.1 billion installment from the International Monetary Fund in September, two months earlier than planned, acting Finance Minister Ihor Umanskiy said Wednesday.