Unian

A Reuters journalist, covering the war in Ukraine, was reported missing following a missile strike on his hotel in the eastern city of Kramatorsk. The city, under Ukrainian control but close to the front lines, saw the Sapphire Hotel destroyed by what is believed to be an "Iskander" missile on Saturday night.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken out about a possible frozen conflict in Ukraine, saying his country would not enter "such a diplomatic quagmire", UNIAN reported.

Ukraine plans to build a pipeline able to supply about 8 billion cubic metres of European gas through Poland, Ukrainian news agency UNIAN reported on Wednesday.

According to Radoslav Dudzinsky, member of the management board of Polish company Polenergia which is helping develop the project, the estimated cost of the construction of the 110-km main pipeline is about USD 245 M.

Twelve warships from NATO and other countries are to stage naval exercises, known as Sea Breeze, in the Black Sea.

Hosted by Ukraine, the drills are led by the US.

The maneuvers are held on an annual basis (and have been since 1997) and are not related to the developments in Ukraine and its standoff with Russia.

Ukraine's legislature, the Verkhovna Rada, has turned down the resignation Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk submitted earlier in July.

Yatsenyuk announced he was stepping down last week after the governing coalition collapsed due to the decision of two of its parties, UDAR and Svoboda, to quit.

A Russian military plane shot down a Ukrainian jet fighter over Ukrainian territory, reports the Ukrainian wire agency Unian. 

The pilot ejected successfully and is uninjured,  the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said Thursday. 

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has ordered the creation of humanitarian corridors for civilians to flee areas of the east hit by conflict.

In a statement, quoted by BBC, the presidency said ministers had been ordered to set up "all necessary conditions for civilians who want to leave".

A Ukrainian naval officer was shot by a Russian soldier on the Crimean peninsula, Ukrainian Defense Ministry has claimed.

Ministry officials, as quoted by Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, said that a sailor had been preparing to leave Crimea, which recently joined the Russian Federation, when a Russian soldier fired at him on Sunday night.

Star Wars icon Darth Vader does not have the slightest doubt that he will win Ukraine's May 25 Presidential elections.

Vader earlier announced his bid on behalf of the Internet Party of Ukraine, which already has 280 000 members and has been joined by 72 000 people just over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian news agency UNIAN has reported.

Russia has unofficially closed its borders for Ukrainian goods, reports the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN. 

As of midnight on Wednesday all trucks carrying Ukrainian goods are turned away at the border checkpoints with Russia.