According to Kyiv's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it appears that the Ukrainian soccer fans detained in Belarus on October 9 have now been released.
У Білорусі звільнили усіх затриманих українських вболівальників − МЗС
— Новости Украины (@Dbnmjr) October 11, 2014
Here's another item from our news desk:
The foreign ministers of the Czech Republic and Poland have expressed hope that upcoming parliamentary elections in Ukraine will help resolve the conflict there through diplomacy.
Lubomir Zaoralek and Poland's new foreign minister, Grzegorz Schetyna, were speaking after talks in Prague on October 10.
Poland supports the economic sanctions against Russia for its role in the fighting in Ukraine, but the Czech Republic -- though supportive -- is concerned that the sanctions stifle its trade.
Zaoralek said he hopes that the outcome of the October 26 election in Ukraine will allow for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
Schetyna said he hopes the vote will help the Ukrainians decide their future and pledged Poland's continued support for Ukraine's European aspirations.
Schetyna later told the Associated Press news agency that it depended on Russia, whether more sanctions would be needed.
"If Russia escalates its policy, if it does not accept the outcome of the free elections in Ukraine, if it does not respect the cease-fire, then, in a natural way, the issue [of sanctions]will return to the European [and] world agenda," he said.
(AP)
More fires have broken out at #Donetsk airport, heavy shelling is still going on. pic.twitter.com/Ja1GIPyKoM
— Conflict News (@rConflictNews) October 11, 2014
Ukraine holds negotiation using trilateral group (OSCE, UA and RF militar) to secure silence on east and move further acc to Minsk agreement
— NSDC of Ukraine (@NSDC_ua) October 11, 2014
Cats against separatism: Proceeds from sales at international cat show in Kiev go to Ukraine war effort pic.twitter.com/IF5xbmjDvt
— pete_leonard (@pete_leonard) October 11, 2014
Here is a map of the military situation in Ukraine today, issued by Kyiv's Security and Defense Council (click to enlarge):
Barricades going up in Maidan, but made from straw. Agricultural fair rather than revolution this time pic.twitter.com/c5H2HvLWIz
— pete_leonard (@pete_leonard) October 11, 2014
Anti-Americanism in Moscow? This is a photo from the opening of an American clothing store this am pic.twitter.com/h2dgWSlqqm via @infomoscow24
— Nataliya Vasilyeva (@NatVasilyevaAP) October 11, 2014
Good morning. We'll start the live blog today with this item from RFE/RL's news desk.
Pro-Russian separatists claim that shelling has killed three people in the rebel-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
The rebel-controlled Donetsk city hall said in a statement on October 11 that "as a result of military actions in Donetsk on October 10 three civilians died and four more were injured and hospitalized."
Reports say shelling continued overnight in Donetsk's Kuibyshev district. Several residential houses were reportedly damaged in a fire caused by the shelling.
The reports come as Aleksandr Zakharchenko, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic announced that a "period of quiet" came into force in Donetsk on October 11.
"If it holds for five days, then the parties will begin withdrawing heavy artillery," Zakharchenko said.
Fighting in Donetsk has focused mainly around the government-controlled airport northeast of the city, but nearby residential areas have been hit repeatedly by shells.
The United Nations said more than 300 people were killed since a ceasefire was signed on September 5.
It said at least 3,660 people have been killed and 8,756 wounded in eastern Ukraine since fighting began in mid-April.
That concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Friday, October 10. Please check back here on Saturday for more coverage of the unfolding events.