Rappler's latest stories on Donetsk
Ukraine rivals exchange 200 prisoners in controversial swap
(4th UPDATE) A plane carrying 76 captives, including 12 military personnel and 64 civilians, is met by a crowd of relatives, some holding flowers and balloons
Ukraine rivals to swap prisoners on December 29 – separatists
(3rd UPDATE) 'Kiev and the Donbass have reached an accord on an exchange of prisoners this Sunday, December 29,' says Donetsk government spokesperson
MH17 calls 'show ties between Russian officials, rebels'
(UPDATED) The international probe says the communications raise questions about the possible involvement of top officials in Moscow in the deployment of the missile that shot down the Malaysia Airlines plane in 2014
Russia eases citizenship rules in east Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin signs the decree aimed at residents of the unrecognized Donetsk and Lugansk republics that broke away from Kiev in 2014 and are governed by Moscow-backed rebels
Ukraine separatists hold elections in defiance of capital Kiev
The election can be traced to 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and supported the outbreak of an insurgency in eastern Ukraine in what Kiev sees as punishment for its pivot to the West
Ukraine rebel's murder a 'provocation' against peace, says Kremlin
Alexander Zakharchenko, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, is killed in a bombing at a cafe in Donetsk, becoming the 4-year conflict's most prominent victim from the Moscow-backed side
Nearly 2 million lose mobile access in war-torn east Ukraine
Vodafone says it appealed to the warring sides and monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to get its repair crews safe access to the damaged line. 'It has been futile so far,' spokeswoman Viktoria Ruban writes.
Top Ukraine rebel commander killed in 'act of terror'
Local reports say there was an explosion in his office at the battalion s base
Hasil Liga Europa: Villareal tumbangkan Liverpool 1-0
Hasil ini menjadi kekalahan perdana Liverpool di Liga Eropa musim ini Di lain tempat Sevilla tahan Shakhtar Donetsk 2 2
Eastern Ukrainian villages change hands despite truce
International observers have deplored recent military activity in the zone by both Ukrainian troops and pro Russian rebels which they say undermines the prospects for peace in the region
Ukraine's Donetsk rebels ban MSF, UN agencies
UN agencies such as the World Food Programme would be affected by the ban as they do not have necessary accreditation
The wRap Indonesia: Church burned in Aceh, survivor found from chopper crash
Other stories include the results of the MH17 probe Thailand s big football win against Vietnam and Indonesia as the guest of honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair
MH17 shot down by BUK missile from war-torn Ukraine
UPDATED Even though the Dutch led inquiry did not say who pulled the trigger Russian officials disputed the findings set to further degrade strained ties between Moscow and the West
Ukraine says Russia must cede border by end of year
The Western backed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says he never agreed to the terms announced by French President Francois Hollande at a media event held after summit talks on the crisis in Paris on Friday
Ukraine warring sides announce start of small arms withdrawal
The announcement comes after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko voiced cautious optimism over the future of a peace deal
Ukraine on edge after clashes as third policeman dies
The unrest further exacerbates divisions in Poroshenko s ruling coalition with nationalists deeply opposed to giving the separatists greater control over the country s war ravaged east
Ukraine rebels withdraw from key frontline village
But separatists warn that unilateral demilitarization by their side may not be enough to establish a lasting peace
New deaths and diplomatic warfare rattle Ukraine truce
The latest fatalities in the twisting and hotly disputed zone separating Ukrainian forces from their pro Russian foes in the separatist east add to the strains of a February truce
Poroshenko warns of 'colossal threat' of new Ukraine fighting
Fresh clashes erupt near the rebel stronghold of Donetsk reviving fears in Kiev that the separatists may be gearing up for a new push into government controlled territory
Ukraine truce talks make no breakthrough in Minsk
The latest round of talks in Minsk are relatively low level discussions involving members of a special task force devoted to political settlement issues
Ukraine vows to show off 'captured Russian soldiers'
The politically charged declaration comes as a tenuous February truce is broken by more violence that claimed the lives of at least 4 Ukrainian servicemen
Ukraine vows to show off 'captured Russian soldiers'
Russia firmly denies any involvement in the Ukrainian conflict and accuses the pro Western leadership in Kiev of waging a war of attrition against its own people in the industrial east of the ex Soviet state
Soldier and civilian killed in intensifying Ukraine clashes
For the first time in weeks the town hall in Donetsk reports shelling of the city
'Grave concern' about Ukraine fighting at 4-way talks
Foreign ministers from Russia Ukraine France and Germany gather to assess progress in the truce deal agreed in February between the Ukraine government and pro Russian rebels
Russia lashes out at law to erase Ukraine's Soviet past
The package of laws bans Soviet flags and means Soviet era Lenin statues will have to be knocked down and town squares renamed across the country of some 45 million
Four-way talks on Ukraine to be held in Berlin April 13
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says the focus of the upcoming talks should be the deployment of a peacekeeping mission to monitor the country s fragile truce
On anniversary of Ukraine war, shelling still shattering lives
It s hard for us to believe in this ceasefire The shooting has never really ceased here and in the last days it s become worse than usual
Poroshenko raises decentralization referendum but rebels reject
Poroshenko: Federalization is like an infection a biological weapon which they are trying to impose from outside Ukraine to destroy our unity And we will not allow it
Ukraine, Moscow clash over rebel autonomy laws
The latest wrangling over the east Ukraine peace plan comes as Moscow celebrates the one year anniversary of the annexation of Ukraine s Crimea peninsula
Ukraine says rebels attack near Mariupol, NATO deploys Baltics troops
UPDATED Meanwhile NATO forces prepared for a major exercise in the Baltics where Russia s involvement in the Ukraine war has jangled nerves
West vows 'strong' response if Ukraine truce violated
Western leaders call for a strong reaction from the international community to any major violation of a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine
Kerry meets Lavrov as Ukraine death toll soars
The meeting with Sergei Lavrov in Geneva came less than a week after Kerry accused Moscow of lying about its involvement in the conflict
Ukraine's Mariupol holds its breath for next rebel move
While a fragile two week old ceasefire shows signs of holding Kiev says pro Russian separatists are using the truce to regroup their forces especially around Mariupol
Two killed as clashes threaten Ukraine truce
UPDATED The two warring sides both said they were continuing the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front
Ukraine says pulling back arms as US, Russia trade barbs
The announcement of the pull back comes after a shaky truce that was meant to come into force February 15 finally took hold across the conflict zone in recent days
Fears for truce as attacking rebels mass near Ukraine port city
Continued hostilities meant a pull back of heavy weapons could not go ahead as agreed Ukrainian officials say
Ukraine rebels mark Soviet holiday for defenders of 'fatherland'
But while the mood is celebratory there is still a somber moment of silence to remember those killed fighting for the pro Moscow insurgency
Arms pullback accord, prisoner swap bolster shaky Ukraine truce
UPDATED But ongoing breaches of a week old ceasefire have already prompted a threat from the United States of serious new sanctions against Moscow within days
Major prisoner swap bolsters shaky Ukraine truce
The rare glint of optimism comes on the heels of a pro Russian rebel offensive in the east capturing a major town from loyalists and drawing threats of new sanctions against Moscow
Ukraine calls for peacekeepers after rebels take key town
The loss is a bitter blow to the Ukrainian army and leaves a last ditch peace plan hammered out by the leaders of Ukraine Russia Germany and France hanging by a thread
Ukraine urges West to get 'tough' on Russia after rebels storm town
As EU and UN officials express concern at the violence in the town of Debaltseve Russian President Vladimir Putin urges Kiev to permit its beleaguered soldiers to surrender
Access agreed for OSCE monitors in Ukraine – Berlin
The agreement is aimed at allowing observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe OSCE to monitor the situation on the ground around the strategic railway hub of Debaltseve
'Stop shooting,' EU pleads as Ukraine ceasefire teeters
Fighting rages around a strategic railway hub and both sides say conditions are not met to start withdrawing heavy weapons from the frontline
Ukraine truce largely observed – except around flashpoint town
UPDATED Ukraine s military says that across the entire conflict zone its soldiers positions had come under fire from the rebels 60 times on Sunday with Debaltseve the main hotspot
Ukraine ceasefire begins after fierce fighting in besieged town
An agreed ceasefire in Ukraine goes into effect under a cloud of mistrust after fighting raged until the last minute and Kiev and the US accused Russia of fueling a final push by rebels to gain territory
Marathon Ukraine peace summit agrees ceasefire
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he German Chancellor Angela Merkel French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko agree on the main points
Ukraine peace summit drags on as leaders wrangle
The crunch 4 way meeting is the climax of a frantic European diplomatic drive aimed at stopping the worst East West crisis since the end of the Cold War from escalating
Obama delays Ukraine arms decision amid diplomatic whirlwind
Obama says he hopes Merkel could reach a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end 10 months of bloodshed in eastern Ukraine but warned more punitive measures are in the pipeline if that fails
EU suspends new sanctions pending Ukraine summit
EU foreign ministers postpone new sanctions against Russia for a week to boost the chances of success at a 4 way Ukraine peace summit Wednesday
4-way emergency Ukraine summit planned February 11
The leaders of Ukraine Germany and France are pushing for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a frantic bid to halt escalating bloodshed in eastern Ukraine
