KIEV, Aug. 15 – Police will step up security measures and introduce 24-hour street monitoring now that opposition groups have announced plans to hold a massive march and rally on Independence Day on August 24.

MOSCOW, Aug. 12 - Russia believes that the 3+1 format cannot be applied to cooperation between the Customs Union and Ukraine.

A Kremlin source told the press on Friday that at a Thursday meeting of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, the Russian side "gave explanations concerning the possible parameters of cooperation between Ukraine and the Customs Union."

MOSCOW, Aug. 12 - Ukraine has unexpectedly started increasing purchases of gas from Russia, the Fuel and Energy Dispatch Center (TsDU TEK) said on Friday.

Since the start of August, Ukraine has purchased an average of 60 million cubic meters of gas a day. However, starting from August 8, imports increased to 89 mcm a day and came to 97.3 mcm of gas on August 10.

KIEV, Aug. 12 – The tax code which is to be adopted in the autumn of 2010 should contain a section on real estate taxes, as this is a requirement of Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych, said Iryna Akimova first deputy head of the Presidential Administration.

KIEV, Aug. 15 – Three television channels went on strike on Saturday in protest of steadily increasing pressure on media in Ukraine, with hundreds of other journalists declaring readiness to join the action.

KIEV, Aug. 14 – The Ukrainian government is forcing independent companies to sell gas produced in joint projects with state companies at "at prices far below the competitive market price,” which is in contradiction with the civil code on foreign investments, said Rob Bensh, chairman and chief executive officer of Cardinal Resources, and a member of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council.

KIEV, Aug. 15 - Ukraine's real GDP was 7.7% higher—7.2% in July alone--during the first seven months of 2007 than the same period last year January to July 2007 was 7.7% year-over-year, the State Statistics Committee reported on Wednesday.

KIEV, Aug. 15 – The Central Election Commission on Wednesday registered the group led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko for the Sept. 30 snap election, ending a four-day standoff over a minor technical issue.

KIEV, Aug. 15 – Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych on Wednesday unexpectedly called for the holding of an emergency session of Parliament ahead of the Sept. 30 election.

KIEV, Aug. 15 - Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych on Tuesday joined a summit of the Euro-Asian Economic Community, a Russia-led trade bloc of former Soviet republics, seeking extra purchases of natural gas among other issues.