Ukraine president orders civilian corridor in east

Ukraine's new president today ordered security officials to create a corridor for safe passage for civilians in eastern regions rocked by a pro-Russian insurgency, as he began to form his government team by tapping a media mogul as chief of staff.
Petro Poroshenko ordered security agencies to organise transport and relocation to help civilians leave areas affected by fighting between rebels and Ukraine's military, his office said in a brief statement published online. It gave no details on where the civilians could be relocated, or what accommodation was available.
Poroshenko also announced the appointments of media executive and business ally Boris Lozhkin as chief of staff, and Svyatoslav Tsegolka, a journalist at the TV station owned by Poroshenko, as press secretary. Lozhkin, who sold his major news holding last year, has never been publicly involved in politics and hails from the country's eastern city of Kharkiv.

The new president did not announce any shakeup in the defense or foreign ministries, where changes could be pivotal for Ukraine's ongoing offensive in the east. Ukrainian officials say at least 200 people, including 59 servicemen, have been killed in clashes in the east.
It is unclear how many civilians in the east have fled the fighting. The United Nations' refugee agency in May said Ukraine's tensions had resulted in about 10,000 displaced people, both from Russia's annexation of Crimea and from the violence in the east.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today said some 30,000 Ukrainian refugees are now in Russia's Rostov region, which borders Ukraine.

Lavrov, after meeting with his German and Polish counterparts in St Petersburg, said the announcement on establishing safe passage was "a step in the right direction," but criticised Ukraine for continuing the offensive.
"The key to toning down the situation in our view is ending this military operation against protesters. Then, I am convinced, these people who you call separatists will take reciprocal action," he said.
The government in Kiev calls the security sweep an "anti-terrorist operation." Russian officials deny allegations by Kiev and Western countries that it is fomenting or supporting the uprising in the east and it is uncertain how much influence Moscow can exert on the insurgents.