Ukraine and NATO: Russian Troops Crossed Into Ukraine


28 August, 2014

Ukrainian and NATO officials on Thursday said Russian forces had crossed the border into Ukraine to support pro-Russia separatists.

At a special Organization for Security and Cooperation meeting in Vienna, Ukrainian Ambassador Ihor Prokopchuk, told reporters "what we registered is a direct invasion of the Russian military into the eastern regions of Ukraine."

Russian Ambassador Andrey Kelin denied the accusation at the OSC meeting. He said, "No Russian forces are crossing in any point the border of Ukraine.'

A top NATO official said that well over 1,000 Russian troops are now operating inside Ukraine. He said "they are supporting separatists [and] fighting with them."

NATO also released satellite images that it said show Russian fighting forces carrying out in military operations in Ukraine. The alliance said the images show Russian artillery groups near the southeastern town of Krasnodon.

On Tuesday in Belarus, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko met with Russia's President Vladimir Putin to discuss a peace process.

Ukraine and NATO: Russian Troops Crossed Into Ukraine
This August 21st satellite image shows the Russian military forces in the area of Krasnodon, Ukraine.

WHO: Ebola outbreak could infect 20,000 people

The World Health Organization says that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa could infect more than 20,000 people over the next six months.


Ebola cases and deaths in West Africa, as of Aug. 28, 2014 update

Dr. Bruce Ayleward is the Assistant Director-General for the World Health Organization. He said medical experts, in his words, "are seeing today, in contrast to previous Ebola outbreaks: multiple hotspots within these countries — not a single, remote forested area, the kind of environments that have been tackled in the past. And then not multiple hotspots within one country, but international disease."

The WHO is launching a plan designed to control the spread. The effort could take up to nine months and almost 500 million dollars. The organization also warned the disease would kill thousands more people before it is contained.

An experimental Ebola vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline is being tested on volunteers. The drug company hopes to produce 10,000 doses for emergency deployment, if the results are good.

A bank account for everyone in India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a new program to open a bank account for every family in the country. Hours before the launch in New Delhi, banks enrolled 15 million new accounts across India.

The program aims to bring poor people into a modern economy and reduce their dependence on money lenders.

Pitt and Jolie marry


US actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

Actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt married over the weekend in the southern village of Correns, France. The two have been a couple since 2005. They have six children together.

This is Jolie's third marriage and Pitt's second.

Words in the News

accuse - v. to say a person is responsible for an act or crime; to make a statement against someone

assist – v. to help

volunteer – n. a person who chooses to do something without being asked, usually without being paid

bank account - n. an account with a bank created by the deposit of money or its equivalent and subject to withdrawal of money

marry – v. to join a man and woman together as husbandand wife; to become husband and wife (usually in a religious or civil ceremony