Russian Forces Move Into Eastern Ukraine, NATO Says

Columns of Russian troops, tanks and heavy artillery have moved into eastern Ukraine en masse this week, a top NATO commander told the BBC Wednesday. Heavy artillery fire was heard in the city of Donetsk, a stronghold of pro-Russian rebels Wednesday, but it was unclear whether it came from pro-government or rebel forces, the BBC reported. Elsewhere, one Ukrainian soldier was killed and another was wounded near the village of Schastya, near the rebel-controlled city of Luhansk, the BBC reported, citing Ukrainian security forces. Russia has consistently denied sending troops to support pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine. The news seem to have had little effect on the value of the ruble, which traded flat at 2 cents Wednesday.