luhansk is about half that size. but luhansk is much closer to the russian border.t is fairly close. now, when i was there, at least, ukrainian army had surrounded the city luhansk and it was very intensive fighting on the outskirts. we heard recently on the news in recent days, the separatists have taken back the airport, for example, but the situation there is still very difficult. >> can you talk about the number of deaths and who is responsible for these deaths in the area? >> it is difficult to establish with certainty how many civilians have suffered, how many civilians have been killed. it is even more difficult to establish how many soldiers and fighter separatists have in killed, but our focus is on the civilians. so in luhansk, the first thing we did was go to the morgue in the city and the head of the morgue told us they had registered more than 300 civilians had been killed. he said all of them had been killed -- almost all of them have been killed by shrapnel injuries from artillery and rocket shelling. the morgue also was having difficulty operating wi

rebel leaders internet and luhansk -- rebel leaders from donetsk and luhansk were also there. quits let's bring in our correspondent. she is standing by for us in kiev. we have been through the cease-fire before. why is there any reason to think that this one is going to be better? >> first of all, it happened. it is a bilateral cease-fire for the very first time and is very tangible. we are getting reports that the situation has called down. over those 48 hours of very there's fighting, it is very tangible, and at the same time, it is laden with friction because basic positions have not really changed. petro poroshenko laid out today at the nato summit what he has on offer, and that's once again, greater autonomy for those regions of donetsk and luhansk. at the same time, the rebel leader of luhansk made it clear that he still wants independence. basically, nothing has changed. this could well become a frozen conflict, but at least, the killing, the fighting has stopped for now. >> a good way to describe what this has become. we know not everyone is happy with this. there are

kiev says it faced an intense assault in luhansk it claims was orchestrated by russian forces. here is what a ukrainian military spokesperson had to say. >> ukrainian soldiers were forced to leave the airport and the village on the way to luhansk. looking at the precision of the shelling, it was undertaken by professional artillery of the russian forces. >> representatives from crain russia as well as the separatist are meeting in belarus right now to discuss the crisis. the separatist leader appears to have softened his demands no foul independence. he wants a russian speaking part. >> denies russian troops are fighting in ukraine, the prime minister called for cease-fire for talks in minsk. >> there will be no military intervention. we call for only peaceful settlement of this tragedy in ukraine. everything we are doing ames to demonstrate precisely this political approach. >> russian president vladimir putin has said immediate negotiations are needed over what he termed the statehood of southern and eastern ukraine, an area the kremlin calls new russia. the western kiev accu

. >> in a little village south of luhansk more evidence of the war. tanks rolled in and stayed for two weeks, and the impresent on this community will last for years. while the locals blame the ukrainian forces for turning their homes into targets, the local soldiers said that they tried to get civilians out so their vehicles would not be hit by mines. >> 17 people died here, everybody from this street died. from this house, from this house and from that house. >> this is one episode in the chaotic withdrawal from luhansk. the rebelled weren't able to do this kind of damage. you see the crater northbound this tank, and it gives you the idea of the firepower raining down on this village. from what the kiev government said is the result of russian reinforcement. in luhansk itself, a testament to the weeks of shelling from the ukrainian airport. sources say that 500 people died around the area, and the numbers are expected to rise. the power has been out for a month. >> there's an expectation of more war to come. they have not been shooting since the cea

the borders between luhansk and donetsk reeje donetsk region. that makes situation for the ukrainians even more. >> we have the statement from vladimir putin that there should be immediate negotiations about state hood for south eastern ukraine. how mu how much did that ratchet up what's going on? >> he used the word which in russian means state hood, nothing else. his spokesman later said he was misunderstood. what he meant -- it does not really mean state hood. we can see there's only talk of independence for luhansk and donetsk regions. >> the accusations of direct russian military involvement continue. russia remains adamant this is not the case. >> that's correct. this is hard to believe that because the tanks and armored vehicles do not appear from nowhere. they have to come from somewhere. there are tanks as many experts pointed out that are not on the ukrainian army stops but are used by russian army. they appear to be operated by ukrainian rebels. that means those could have come only from russian territory. >> we heard osce in the last

south of luhansk, a scene of even greater destruction.ating ukrainian army convoy was caught here two weeks ago. every vehicle incinerated. the precise circumstances are unclear, but this was ferocious, expert work. some say russian helicopters were involved. a reminder that if the cease-fire collapses totally, ukraine's powerful neighbor won't simply stand by and watch. paul adams, bbc news, eastern ukraine. >> we can speak now to the ambassador at large for the ukrainian foreign ministry in kiev. thank you very much indeed for joining us here on "gmt." i just wanted to ask you first about the parliamentary votes, both on amnesty and limited self-rule. the rebels aren't interested in either of these, and you know that, don't you? >> good afternoon, sir. yes, we know that perfectly, but our way is clear. we aim at the reconciliation of ukrainians, because ukrainians in donetsk should be reintegrated into ukraine and we should remain as one country, and this is why the laws were adopted. >> that itself is not going to happen, it would seem

so badly in recent days, in areas where the separatists have controlled so much of the region of luhansk donetsk, then that is going to be deeply unpopular with a lot of the politicians and fighters that have been fighting on behalf of trying to regain what they see as integral ukrainian territory. >> all right. we'll leave it there. the ceasefire due to take effect in just under an hour's time. let's cross over live now to our diplomatic editor, james bayes. he is at the nato summit in whales, where we have been expecting the ukrainian president to come out for about a half an hour >> operator. >> reporter: yes, i have just come back from a huge crowd of journalists, just run back here to talk to you, left some of my al jazeera colleagues to cover it. but this shows the sensitivity, i think of the situation, that he is going to read the statement, get his message out, he is going to read it in ukrainian and again in english, but we'll being told he is not going to take any questions at all. that i think, shows the sensitivity of his position. he probably didn't want to sign this. certai

. >> reporter: in a little city south of luhansk. on august 13th ukrainian tanks rolled in.they stayed for two weeks. they are imprint on this community will last for years. while locals blame local forces for turning their homes into targets they say that soldiers tried to get civilians out only for their vehicles to be hit by mines and artillery. >> reporter: 17 people died here. everybody from this street died. from this house, from this house, and from that house. >> reporter: this is just one episode from the withdrawal of luhansk. when it was turned on its head for days. up to that point the rebels have not had the weapons to do this kind of damage. the shear size of the crater gives you an idea of the kind of power fire raining down on this village. >> reporter: in luhansk itself, builds line the streets. city authorities say 500 people died in and around luhansk. a number that is expected to rise. the electricity and therefore pumped water has been out for a month. >> in general it's silent now but there is an expectation of more war to come. it's good they have not

active offensive operations by the armed forces in ukraine southeast in the areas of donetsk and luhansk>> the ukrainian president says he hopes the peace process will be launched on friday. >> translator: how can anyone be against peace? how can anyone reject the fact that people must stop dying? how can we stop these awful events today? it is just barbarianism. i very much hope that we finally will be able to launch the peace process in minsk on friday. >> more now from peter sharpe from moscow. >> reporter: it is difficult to see where president putin is getting this optimism for success in the talks on friday. this will be a meeting of a contact group. it's really the only show in town, and the only place where russians, the ukrainians and the rebels can sit down and actually talk to each other, and participate -- president putin says he is pretty confident. he is calling for an end of offensive operations by both the ukrainian and the rebel forces in donetsk and luhansk. he wants ukrainian personnel to pull back. and he is asking for a international monetary group to oversee the pro

if they want independence, they'll have to control all of donetsk and luhansk. that's why the fear is that the fighting could resume. one other thing - the convoys that russia has been sending through. we have heard of another employee coming into donetsk. we haven't got access. but the fear is from the ukrainian side and the international community, that rushee is using the convoys to bring in the wrong kind of aid. there's humanitarian head, we haven't been able to get permission to fill it, the fear is that it's military aid, as the international community is accusing russia of doing. that's important, that ukraine has to resolve its issues with russia, for a ceasefire to last. >>> robin, thank you. >>> the effects of russia's annexation of crimea in ukraine is felt. the region is struggling to pull in half the tourists it does in a normal year. rory challands reports. >> reporter: there are a million fewer tourists this year, anna toly tells us, as he throws his taxi around the twisting streets. >> translation: last year i earnt about $350 a month, which was

active operations by the armed forces and armed units of this militia in the areas of donetsk and luhansk in just a moment we'll be talking to harry fawcett in east ukraine, first let's go to peter sharpe in moscow. peter talk us through what we know about this seven-point plan that putin is putting forward. >> reporter: well, we know that putin himself is pretty optimistic. there doesn't seem to be that much cause for optimism when you see the course of relations between ukraine, the rebels and russia. it's an uncomfortable threesome. but president putin says the meeting of the contact group in minsk on friday will provide, he hopes a way of bringing both sides together, and getting agreement on a ceasefire. this is a war that now encompasses more than 2.2 million people in the area. this is president putin's seven-point plan. putin is calling for an end to offensive operations by both the ukrainian and rebel forces in donetsk and luhansk. he wants ukrainian personal to pull back from the front lines and stop shelling civilian areas. putin is also asking for an international monitoring f

luhansk is part of ukraine or not, it doesn't make a difference.ple are what matters. >> translator: this battered city is doing what it can to prepare itself before his annual festival on saturday. ruined infrastructure everywhere needs to be rebuilt, and everywhere the fear that the fighting could start again. >>> european sanctions reached to target russia have come in to effect despite the threat of relation from moscow. suspected russian involvement in eastern ukraine, and major russian world firms and state and banks will be denied access to financing, crucial european markets. let's get the reaction from peter sharpe. >> reporter: in the past president putin has been dismissing these sanctions. he calls them mostly meaningless pin pricks, but there's no question these sanctions passed by the european union on friday will start to bite. and in the firing is one of the country's major oil companies. it was one of the fastest growing oil companies in the world. it has now been denied access to capitol raising money in the markets. it is trying

that's luhansk. at the same time, russian president vladimir putin is coming under more criticism from ukraine's prime minister. >> clear for me what is the ultimate goal of president putin. his aim is not just to take donetsk and luhansk. his goal is to take the entire ukraine. he cannot cope with an idea that ukraine would be a part of big eu family. he wants to restore the soviet union. >> cnn's reza seyah joins us with the latest. reza, what is the status of that convoy? >> reporter: george, i think this is a move by moscow that's going to be viewed as a positive by some here in ukraine and is going to be viewed with some suspicion by other people here in ukraine. it fedepends who you ask. here in eastern ukraine, the pro-russian rebels will see this as moscow helping the victims of this conflict. and in kiev, the pro-european ukrainians will have a lot of questions about this convoy. according to ukrainian officials at the border, more than 200 russian trucks crossed from russia into ukraine thi

pro-russian separatists have made substantial recent gains in the luhansk and donetsk regions and further around the area of mriopol. kiev has been forced to change its strategy preparing not only to fight the rebels but also russian troops in a war it says could cost tens of thousands of lives. russian soldiers are reported to be seen around lujou -- the region. paul tell us about the incredible numbers of refugees. >> reporter: yes, well, the combat really flared up in a major way in the cities of donetsk and luhansk, three or four months ago. what we saw was a major exodus from those cities. they are a little bit north of here. so the figures spiked early. then calmed down a little bit, but now as a result of the increasing activity along the border, the resurgents if you would like of the pro-russian militia in a huging swathe of land, in the month there was 260,000 more internally displaced. many have gone to russia. many have simply gone to stay with relatives in a safer part of the country. so these figures may actually chronically underestimate the truth. >> paul, are we seeing a

steps including the [ inaudible ] of power, including the specialalty under certain districts of the luhansknd donetsk region for their economic freedom, guaranteed their rights to use any languages on these territory, and uphold the culture and tradition, including the am neszty, so everything which is mentioned in my peace plan. >> nato members agreed to create a rapid-reaction force to deal with what they see as a threat from moscow. the u.s. president, barack obama remains cautious about the ceasefire. >> we are hopeful, but based on past experience, also skeptical that in fact the separatists will follow through, and the russians will stop violating ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. so it has to be tested. >> before the agreement was reached there were reports of heavy fighting in at least two parts of the country. smoke was scene and gunfire heard near the city of mariupol, and even after the ceasefire began, explosions were reported north of the city of donetsk. we will be speaking to our correspondent in moscow and newport in a moment, but first to harry faucet in ukra

firstly, to end the offensive operations by the armed forces of militia, donetsk and luhansk, pull back the ukranian army and not shell populated areas. ensure international observers monitor the ceasefire and ensure that combat aircraft are not used. >> separatist leaders claim to have not seen vladimir putin's plan, but were in broad agreement with its proposals. >> let them go away and stop bothering us. we didn't bother them. we didn't go to kiev, and we don't kill there. do they want us to go to kiev and shell. leave us in peace. go away. >> the coming days promise to be important. ukraine's troubles will be top of the agenda. the contact group representing kiev, moscow and the separatists will meet in minsk. and on the same day the e.u. will decide whether to hit russia with more sanctions. >> so you can see while ukraine is the top of the agenda at the meetings, the reality is - let's bring it back to the n.a.t.o. meeting. their hands are tied. according to a 1997 treaty, they can't bring n.a.t.o. forces too close to the border. they may announce in the region of $16 billion of a

we saw changes in the ukranian positions, pulling back in donetsk and luhansk. it came as a surprise when the initial statement came out of the president's offices saying he had reached on agreement on a ceasefire with vladimir putin, his russian opposite number. as you say, the kremlin repudiated that, saying the russians were not part of the conflict, and could not negotiate a caes newer, meaning they had discussed ways out of the current fighting and in the last few minutes, we had something of a retraction, a rephrasing of the ukrainian president's statement, now talking about a ceasefire about a regime, steps towards peace. so already the position of petro porashenko has been undermined coming out with this stunning statement this morning. questions, as well, as to how his forces are going to react to the ideas of a ceasefire along the counter lines, where so much ukrainian territory, it appears, would be ceded if the ukranian president was to great to a ceasefire as it stands at the moment. >> what about the people fighting directly, the ukranian forces, t

however, there have been serious fighting in other parts of donetsk and luhansk region here in the southeast of ukraine with the rebels apparently claiming they have taken quite a lot of ground back from ukrainian army. there are several fronts. the conflict goes on. it can intensify here. the question is what is going to be the next move of the rebels. will they move on this city mariupol which is a very important city or will they hold tight for the time being? >> we've seen pictures last few days of how ordinary people are finding it. what is daily life like for those not involved themselves personally? >> well, you know we're in one of the main squares here in mariupol. people are going to work. certainly the people we've spoken to, there is sense of fear. they're worried about what's going to happen, whether there will be an assault on this city. we know that quite a few people have left. this is a city of more than 400,000 people. we understand thousands have left. of course the majority of the city do remain here. one person we've been told, when she's been going to work the past few

in effect, donetsk, luhansk, they are in no man's land.s important because the likes of donetsk alone - or the region - it's 12% of ukraine's g.d.p., having an effect on the economy. there's 3,000 russian troops in ukraine. the question is at what stage will the troops leave and go back to russia. you claim it's a frozen conflict, but the west threaten further sanctions. they say there'll be a strong reaction. do you think it will be counterproductive. the west made it clear they won't act. >> we'll see on monday what sanctions we are looking at. what we are hearing, it will be further financial sanctions against other states, russian states, reports. i think it is important. we are seeing the russian economy - the ruble bound by 20%. >> we are not seeing that change the politics of russia. it doesn't seem that they care. they are starting to feel it. >> how many influence do they have. >> every crack sparks a bigger crack, and we are seeing the oligarchs hit by the sanctions, and there are movements admitting that russian oldiers are turn

it was no longer about the anti-terror operation in luhansk or donetsk. if ukrainian forces are pulling back, and with the announcement from petro porashenko leaving open the possibility that this conflict will be frozen, that will upset a lot of people on his own side. >> sorry to do this - we'll leave that. in estonia the u.s. president and the estonian president is giving a news conference, let's hear what president obama said. >> we have spoken since last year on the situation in ukraine. your life reflect the story of your nation, the son of refugees returning home to chart a pass for a free and democratic eston estonia, as many know, thomas and his family was taken to new jersey, he is still known as tom. it was great to meet your daughter and found she has gone back to new jersey. you knew bruce springstein. you embody the ties between americans and estonians, it's great to have your friendship. i come today because estonia is one of the success stories about a nation claiming independence after the coal war. you have built a vibrant democracy, hav

destination luhansk. residents need food and support. >> today we have received humanitarian aid from the russian federation. until now, we have unloaded cars with rice, sugar, canned fish and meet. it will be delivered to people with passports in luhansk. >> pro-russian rebels distributed the aid. it may win them trust. me have to reassure residents that they can keep the piece. these are the traffic police complete with the new insignia. the rebels want to show the public that order has returned. some, like the gunmen in this car, are still beyond the law. for others, though the war may not be over, it's time to get on with their lives. >>> still to come - refugees twice removed. syrians in jordan, forced from the camps built to shelter them. >> and why vets in cuba are struggling to get enough medicine to take care of pets. outside of the city limits of atlanta. it's 99% african american we do get a quality education. you know we have teachers that really care about us as far as the african american st

luhansk officials started distributing food rations today. the u.n. says it's there.t's there at the request of the ukrainian government. it's hoping to feed 120 ,000 people over the next six months. more than 300,000 ukrainians have been displaced by the fighting. it has been five weeks since michael brown was fatally shot by a police officer in ferguson, m missou missouri. the violent protests there have subsided but community leaders say they are angry. a rally was held outside of the st. louis county of justice. they called for the arrest of the officer who killed the 18-year-old. a new video could bolster the case against the officer. it was apparently recorded just after the august 9th shooting and shows two construction workers who shaw what happened. >> yeah. the video matches what other witnesses have said about brown's death, that he wasn't resisting arrest when the officer opened fire. it's not known if the men in the video have testified before the grand jury investigating that deadly shooting. >>> one pennsylvania state trooper is dead, another wounded af

it was an area in the south of modern-day ukraine, it stretched to odessa and parts of luhansk. it was wrestled from the ottoman empire in the 18th century. it remained part of russia and was ruled until the revolution of 1917. it passed into the ukrainian republic. then you have the collapse of communism. it passed into ukraine. historically, food and can lay -- historically, putin can lay claim to a. and again, turkey can, too. the fact is, it has not been part of russia. they reveal the -- the reality is it has gone back to the russian revolution. >> the german chancellor said in acting sanctions against russia could hit the germany economy hard. she also added that doing nothing in response to the aggression was "not an option". they're are also focusing on their role in iraq. they are sending in aid to kurdish fighters. providing the assistance is both a humanitarian responsibility and in its security interest as well. >> three tons of humanitarian aid. state fighters had been laying siege to the shiite community for over two months until it was recaptured by security force

it will be delivered to people with passports from luhansk, and the luhansk region, in different places. >>> pro-russian rebels disrupted the aid. that may -- distributed the aid. that may win them trust. >> like donetsk, they must reassure the residents that they can keep the peace. these are traffic police with the new insignia of the donetsk people's republic. the rebel authorities want to show the public that order has returned. some, like the gunmen in the car, are beyond the war. for others, the war may not be over. it's time to get on with their lives. >> there are 600,000 syrian refugees living in jordan, many in illegal structures. efforts to get them in safer drawings failed. we have this report from a village in jordan. >> reporter: when the jordanian authorities evacuated a number of illegal communities, some refugees built cement homes instead, without obtaining construction licences or permits. the government wants all refugees to live inside official camps. many say they can't. this person from homs has six children, two of home were born with brain paralysis. they lived

pro-russian rebels have pushed the ukrainian troops out of the airport in the eastern rebel held city of luhansk. >> signs of a retreat by ukrainian government forces on the road south of donetsk. one checkpoint has been abandoned. for locals, dangers remain. >> we are going home. we have to go home. >> we are checking traffic because the road has been -- completely. >> a gave control over strategic locations. the ukraine government is pointing the finger. >> ukrainian soldiers worked -- were ordered to carry out an organizer tree. -- organized retreats. >> donetsk airport has been abandoned. a goal appears to involve creation along the front of ukraine to establish a land corridor. vowing to adopt beefed-up military doctrine to establish a rapid response team in the east to ward off russia's expansion into ukraine. in other news, more backpedaling from vladimir putin. >> yesterday we were talking about the statehood common. it was the comment in which vladimir putin called for talks on both sides of ukraine. everyone sees him appointment -- seized on the point that they thought southeast ukrain

it's a special status, which should be given to donetsk and luhansk, but just temporary, for the next three years. and the whole idea of the status is to give the people of donetsk and luhansk, more freedom, but more responsibility. >> in charge of their own security, local police forces, for example. >> it's about characterisation interaction. it's about joint patrolling, because we have to get back law and order to the people in donetsk, because they are absolutely fed up on the developments on killing people, taking hostages. can you imagine thousands, not just hundreds, but thousands of hostages as a result of the conflict. >> you have a new amnesty law. some are saying this is a surrender to the rebels and russia. >> not at all, not in any way, because it's not just about amnesty. it's terminology which is normally used. it's about freeing from criminal responsibility. only those who have not committed capital crimes, who have not commit any crimes against humanity. >> the u.s. and europe introduced sanctions against europe for its actions. peter sharp has this report on how mosc

they've declared their people's republic in donetsk and luhansk.k about new russia as an overaveraging structure but also indicative of the fact they're looking to the east and not to the west for their political and economic allegiances. but when i spoke to andre who is the first vice prime minister, effectively number two of the donetsk people's republic last night, he gave me a rather gu d guarded answer at first. on one hand expressing optimism and on the other hand making that wider purpose abundantly clear. here's what he had to say. >> right thousand we are learning about this law. there are a lot of positives which we can use for dialogue and foundation for negotiation. that doesn't mean we've altered our direction on the way to independence and russian world. we really don't plan on building any political relationship with ukraine. not federal or any other. we can discuss economic cooperation, social, cultural and other aspects. >> reporter: he also made it clear he dismissed some of the proposals about an anne amnesty. he said rebels were

represents a freeze in the conflict, where dpr have established control of these major cities of luhanskonetsk, and a future piece is based on that, never mind what is happening here in mariupol, which is a very strategic city. is that going to be acceptable to some of the people that have been fighting on the ukrainian side in the long term or will there be future potential for conflict going forward. >> harry stay with us for a second. we're going to take our viewers back to the nato summit. this is a gaggle of reporters there outside of the building where -- where that meeting is taking place. we're expecting the ukrainian president to make a statement on those ceasefire talks in minsk in belarus. so as soon as we get that, we'll bring it to you. let's go back to harry fawcett in mariupol, you have been talking to people there in the last couple of days. how hopeful are people there that any kind of deal is about to be announced that will stop the fighting? >> well, i mean there is obviously a great deal softwa-- of wariness not just here but in the entire region. some people we have

a lot of territory this week has been lost to pro russian rebels, including this air field in luhanskssian president vladimir putin continues to deny sending troops and tanks over the boferreder to help the rebels. even though satellite images show them there. >> thank you so much for joining us today. >> my pleasure. >> how do you feel about this idea of an international coalition, a nato fighting force? do you think countries are going to be willing to commit their troops to this effort? >> i think they are talking about creating a rapid response force but i think that's really being directed to the concerns of the baltic states who also have large ethnic populations and are very concerned about how things are developing in ukraine. so i think that the formation of this rapid response nato force is really to address the concerns of the baltic states and eastern europe. >> the baltic statements wants this not to happen here. understand why they are so concerned given their geography and their ethnic populations. what about bob menendez who wants to provide offensive weapons to the uk

the fighting continues, we have been seeing major fighting in luhansk, one of the cities in and around donetsk. the main city there. and, of course, people are still watching carefully what is going to happen in the city that is held by government forces, the one main city that is held by the government, which is now being moved in on by the rebel forces who say they're going to launch an attack. and it is the expectation that if the rebels do try to take mario mariopol, it could be a bloody battle indeed. >> steve in moscow, we heard talk of russia potentially re writing, changing the military doctrine. what would that mean? >> the russians started talking about this yesterday, saying that because of new threats to their country, it was necessary to update the current military doctrine, which i think was put together back in 2010. essentially, i think, it would mean making much clearer the russians' enemy today was the united states and nato. we heard this from a number of military officials over the last couple of days. so russia is expected to update this doctrine by the end of the

destination, luhansk.esidents urgently need food and support. >> today, we have received humanitarian aid from the russian federation. until now, we have unloaded cars with canned fish and meat. this will be delivered to people with parts ports from luhansk and different areas. >> pro-russian rebels distributed the aid. >> may win them trust. likewise, in donetsk, the rebels must now reassure returning residents that they can keep the peace. they may resemble just another militia but these are traffic police complete with the new insignia of the donetsk peoples republic. the rebel authorities want to show the public order has returned though some, like the government in this car, are still beyond the law. for others, though the war may not yet be over, it's time to get on with their lives. robin walker, al jazeera, dondon. >> the united nations is launching a food aid operation starting in that same city as the russian convoy. lunatic. officials started distributing today. they say it's at the request of t

ukraine's military says it's battling a russian battalion for control an aport in the city of luhanskre are you hearing about the situation near luhansk. >> the situation here is particularly grave for the ukrainian power troopers holding the airport and it's several kilometers from the city and a village that is controlled as well. in the last hour announcement from the kiev spokesman for national defense council is at the paratroopers ordered them withdraw and they are up kiev says is a russian tank ba -- batallion and against the soldiers it was simply unbeatable from the ukrainian point of view and the soldiers holding the airport have been urged to withdraw and doing so in an organized manner and tells how the tide turned in the battlefield in the wide area of the border area of ukraine and a week ago they were frankly on the ropes. something has changed and the president poroshenko of ukraine said what made the difference is open aggression of russia and says there is no doubt there are russian regular forces and russian hardware operating on the ground across wide areas of the

convoys have arrived in luhansk. >>> many ukrainian tourists are now staying away. >> there are a million fewer tourists this year, we're told as he throws his taxi around the twisting streets of yalta. >> last year i earned $350 a month. which was enough to live and even save some money. now my rubel comes to $200 a month. >> the warm shines and the sea is inviting, but much has changed in crimea. since it's become russians ukrainian tourists have shunned the peninsula. russians, though numerous, have not yet made up the shortfall. >> there are very few people here this year. machine is renting the yachts. last year we went well. everyone was happy. this year there is hardly any work. >> crimea holds a special place in the hearts of many russians. many broughczars built castles here. this should be easy enough to understand. this one over here refers to the soldiers that took over crimea earlier on in the year. in russia they were called the polite people, and putin, they suggest, is the politist of them all. he accuses ukraine of neglecting crimea and promises a new age of investment, $

i spoke to a woman who left heavy shelling in luhansk. she said she did not know who was shooting at them, just that they needed to get out. she and her children left with pretty much just the clothing they were wearing that particular day on one of the last trains that got out. she said she initially supported the separatist, but now she is against them completely and was not sure if she could ever return home. and today, we learned that is just one story in a million. >> militarily, the separatists. to be you -- to be making -- the separatists appear to be making huge gains. with the support of russian troops. what is happening echo >> kiev is certainly stpping up the rhetoric in making clear that this is a very serious situation , indeed. we heard the defense minister yesterday saying there is talk of a potentially great war. that would mean significant losses, tens of thousands of men potentially being lost in this. today, we heard that before ukrainian forces left the airport of luhnsk, they made sure the airport could not be used. i

ukrainian officials say their troops have retreated from the airport close to the rebel stronghold of luhansk after coming under artillery fire. bbc news. >> for more on the rising tension, there is an upcoming nato meeting. i spoke with william taylor, who formerly served as u.s. ambassador to ukraine and is now the u.s. institute of peace. so, russia denies sending troops and tanks into ukraine. could the rebels be making these gains all on their own? >> no way, no way. we recall the denials earlier that the russians made about having any russian troops and crimea. several weeks after that the nile, they admitted the troops were there. they- that denial, admitted the troops were there. so, they mask their role, first and crimea and now in ukraine. they have been blatant. >> what should the west to do, then? >> the russians probably have not ignored the sanctions. >> that has not stopped them sending tanks. >> that is exactly right. they continue to deny because i think they are worrying about more sanctions, as they should be. in answer to your question, that to be one of the things that we

yesterday, after the talks finished, we heard from the self-declared prime minister of the luhansk region saying, "this deal is very well, but it will not dim our demonstrates for independence from ukraine, they believe their future is closer to russia, perhaps as part of russia. >> the deal is struck and gives respite. there's a lot of negotiations going forward. >> paul brennan there in donetsk and eastern ukraine. >> n.a.t.o. revealed the details of what it calls a new force din dine -- designed to react to threats. the focus will include the middle east. jonah hull reports from newport in wales. >> reporter: as the nato summit closed, rehabilitation to news of a ceasefire in ukraine was cautious. >> at the same time we strongly support president petro porashenko's efforts to pursue a peaceful resolution. the ceasefire announced today can advance the goal, only if there is follow through on the ground. pro-russian separatists must keep their commitments, and russia must stop its violations of ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity. >>> the general announced plans for a rapid rea

authorities and the russian president, and it was in response, the statement of the leaders of so-called luhansknd donetsk people's republic for a cease-fire. but that was petro poroshenko speaking on the sidelines of a nato summit in wales. there are many christian -- many pressing issues being discussed at the summit. some are calling this the most important nato summit since the end of the cold war. france 24's armen georgian is joining us for an update. there are talks of a rapid reaction force. what more can you tell us about this? >> nato plans to create a force of around 4000 people. that is one brigade. in. -- in theory, they could deploy in hotspots around the world. that was the statement by david cameron and others this morning. nato already has a rapid reaction force, but that may have been a bit of a misnomer because nato says that force was actually not rapid enough also it want a new force that could deploy within 48 hours. my understanding is that we are not talking about deploying in ukraine, because of course you have differences within the alliance between those who favor a to

. >> we have to get law and order to the people of donetsk and luhansk. they are absolutely fed up on the development of killing people, taking hostages. can you imagine thousands, not just hundreds, but thousands of hostages as a result of matter. it's about freeing from criminal responsibility. only those who have not committed capital crimes. >> the u.s. and europe introduced sanctions against russia for actions against ukraine over a week ago. peterson sharp had this report from russia about how it is fighting back. >> russia is fighting the sanctions war with fruit and vegetables. fruit and vegetable has been banned from the united states. at this exhibition in moscow, they are seeking others to fill the gap. this belgium worker is frozen out. >> we blame a little our own politicians, which intervened in russian pollittics, where they shouldn't do it, to personal opinion at least. >> what counter-sanctions could russia call on - closing russian air space, bankrupting some smaller carriers, but rush owe would miss out on overfly fees of $300 million.

it will be delivered to people with passports from luhansk. pro-russian rebels distributed the aid. it may win them trust. the rebels must reassure returning residents that they can keep the peace. they may resemble militia, but they are traffic police complete with the insignia of donetsk. they want to show the public that order has returned. some are still beyond law. for others, the war may not be over, it's time to get on with their lives. >>> an air and sea mission is looking for survivors from a ferry that sank in the philippines. two are known to have died when 100 were rescued. the crew reported steering problems during heavily rain and strong winds. snow the actions of the pakistani taliban announced actions against the army. the leader of one wing has fallen out with the group's chief. in a statement the punjabi taliban urged leaders of other factions to stop fighting and resume peace talks. >>> the pakistani military is using helicopter and boats to rescue people marooned by floodwaters. military personnel are blowing up dykes to try to divert swollen refers. we have this

it will be gip to people -- begiven to people with luhansk pass parts. >> rebels distribute the aid. it may win them trust. like wise in donetsk, they must assure they can keep the peace. these are traffic police, with the new insignia of the donetsk people's republic. the rebel authorities want to show the public that order has returned. though some, in this car, are beyond. for others, the war may not be over, but it's time to get on with their lives. >>> a pakistani military has been using helicopters and boats to rescue people marooned by floodwaters. 280 people have been killed. military engineers have been blowing up dykes in central pakistan to divert rivers. the cities are multan. we have this report. >> this is a village on the outskirts of the city. as you can see, for the last several days, almost 30 families from 30 homes are now seeking refuge on dry land. they have been able to bring out essential supplies with them. most of the stock laying in the home is washed away. the biggest change will be how will the people sustain themselves through this ci sis. even though som

calling for an end to offensive operations about by both ukrainian and rebel forces in donetsk and luhansk. he's asking for monitoring force to oversee the conditions of any cease-fire plan, and the opening up of humanitarian corridors for the movement of refugees and relief supplies into the area. this is an area now encompassing 2.2 million people who are now seriously affected by this conflict. >> and u.s. president barack obama has been in estonia for talks about the situation in ukraine. he said russia is paying a high price for its actions. >> the russian economy has slipped into recession. it's energy production which is the anything of the russian economy is expected to drop. it's credit rating is near junk status. approval has just fallen to an all-time low. russian actions in ukraine are weakening russia. russia's actions are hurting the russian people. >> ukraine crisis will be high on the agenda of the n.a.t.o. summit starting on thursday. we'll get a live update from wales. >>> now the u.s. national security council has confirmed that an online video showing the killings of a

. >> we have to get back more, to the people of donetsk and luhansk, they are absolutely fed up on the developments, killing people, taking hostages. can you imagine thousands. not just hundreds, but thousands of hostages as a result for the conflict. it's not just about amnesty, it's terminology. it's about freeing from criminal responsibility only those who have not committed capital crimes. >> the u.s. and europe introduced fresh sanctions. peter sharp had this report from moscow on how russia is fighting back. >> russia is nighting the sanctions war with fruit and vegetables. counter-sanctions banned the vegetables, where russia was by far the biggest importer. at this exhibition, they are seeking other overseas markets to fill the gap. the belgium exporter find himself frozen out of the market. >> we blame a little our own european politicians, which intervene in russian poll ittics, where they doesn't do that, to offer personal opinion at least. >> what other counter sanctions could russia call on? >> it could close airspace to the airlines. russia would lose out on overfly fees.

. >> we have to get back law and order to the people of donetsk and luhansk. they are absolutely fed up on the developments of killing people, taking hostages. can you imagine thousands, not just hundreds, but thousands of hostages as a result of this conflict. >> it's not just about amnesty, it's terminologiy used. it's freeing from criminal responsibility. only those who have not committed capital crimes. >> investigators at a crash of an airalgeary plane are no closer to identifying the cause. 116 on board were killed. half the dead were french. >> now, earlier in month 45 u.n. peacekeepers were released after being kidnapped and held for two weeks in syria. the troops were captured on the syrian side of the golan heights by the al qaeda side of the al nusra front. we spoke to suva about why it provide more soldiers per capita than any other country. >> this woman was talked on skype with her husband when he stood up. >> he said, "something happened, i need you to be strong." >> he and 44 other peacekeepers had been kidnapped by members of the al nusra fron

. >> translation: you understand that neither the donetsk people's republic nor the luhansk people's republic has the intention of forming political construction with ukraine. we have won a right to freedom, we are part of the russian world, and to develop in a way necessary. >> reporter: lawmakers may seem out of step with reality, but they are promising what vladimir putin wanted all along - special status for eastern ukraine. if moscow likes the idea of an autonomy deal, the rebels may be more willing to listen. >>> last day of campaigning before the people in scotland vote on whether they want independence. hundreds gather in a small village on the scottish border to support the no campaign. opinion polls show it will be a tight race. if the yes campaign triumphs, it will end a political union lasting since 1707. >> the mexican army is being deployed to baja california to help thousands stranded. the storm dumped rains, causing flash floods. thousands have been left without homes and power. >>> just nudging in the direction of our website, aljazeera.com. all the news right there.

. >> we have to get back law and order for the people of donetsk and luhansk. they are absolutely fed up on the developments of killing people, taking hostages. it's not just about amnesty, it's about freedom from criminal responsibility. only those who have not committed capital crimes. >> it's a final day of a lockdown against ebola in sierra leone. thousands have gone door to door to educate residents and identifying patients. those positive are taken to an isolation center. doctors are struggling to treat patients because of a lack of medical supplies. investigators of an alacknowledge eerie plain are no -- algerry plain are no closer to finding a cause. half of the dead were killed. >> air france pilots voted to extend their strike for another week, opposed to a push to develop a substitute that they believe will undermine their jobs. >>> 45 u.n. peacekeepers were released after being kidnapped and held in syria the troops, from fiji, were captured on the syrian side of the golan height by the al qaeda-affileated al nusra. we talk about why that nation pro

. >> we have to get back law and order to the people of don esk and luhansk, because they are absolutely fed up on the developments on killing people, taking hostages. can you imagine thousands, not just hundreds because of the conflict. it's not just about amnesty, it's terminology use. it's about freeing from criminal responsibility. only those who have not committed capital crimes. >>> flooding devastated pakistan's punjab province and the past agricultural region. it's described as the breadbasket of the country. crops are underwater. food prices are rising. we have this report from nicole johnson. >> reporter: it's a terrible year to own a cotton factory. first the rain, heavy and out of season. it knocked the plants around and damaged the quality of the cotton. then the floods hit, washing away a third of the crop, taking with it 40% of the business's profits. >> because of the damage we are getting less raw material. it is costing us a fortune. the country is barely running 12 hours a day. we do not have enough cotton. from the air you see the extent of the damage. farms, factorie

not only firmly in control of the key cities of donetsk and luhansk where the fighting began six months ago but also consolidating their hold on a port they seized last week. just 20 miles away lies the industrial center of mariupol, widely assumed to be next on their list. they won't be welcomed here. residents came out over the weekend to show support for the government in kiev. but ukraine's ramshacklele army can't defend mari mariupol by i. men volunteers fight and women volunteers are in camouflage nets. >> what kind of help is ukraine's president hoping for at the n.a.t.o. summit? >> he's desperate for military assessment to shore up his seriously overwhelmed army but it's far from clear what president obama or any of the european leaders chowld offer that wouldn't, in fact, dangerously escalate this fight with russia. >> elizabeth palmer in london tonight, thank you. tonight scientists are watching an eruption of iceland's volcano, lava hundreds of feet in the air with flow stretching a couple more miles. much more lava than a previous eruption last week but no ash cloud that cou