RFE/RL's news desk has a few more details on claims that Viktor Yanukovych has been made a Russian citizen:
A Ukrainian official says ex-President Viktor Yanukovych and other former top officials have obtained Russian citizenship.
Ukrainian Interior Minister's aide Anton Herashchenko wrote on Facebook on October 3 that President Vladimir Putin signed a "secret decree" granting Russian citizenship to Yanukovych, former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, ex-Prosecutor-General Viktor Pshonka, and members of their families.
Ukraine has launched criminal investigations against the three former top officials, accusing them of killing unarmed demonstrators.
The three fled Ukraine in the wake of antigovernment protests in late February.
Speaking to Ekho Moskvy radio on October 3, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on Herashchenko's statement.
Officials at Russia's Federal Immigration Service also declined to comment.
(UNIAN, Ekho Moskvy, Interfax)
Map of how much land #Russians/"#separatists" have gained since "#ceasefire" with #Ukraine: http://t.co/lEVSByDhBP
— English EuroMaidan (@EuroMaidanEN) October 3, 2014
Yanukovich family & friends settling in near Moscow where Azarov has house, & St. Pete where Yanuk Jr. registered co. http://t.co/if4E370nhi
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) October 3, 2014
Warmly greet Chancellor Angela Merkel with the Day of German Unity and wish peace and prosperity.
— Петро Порошенко (@poroshenko) October 3, 2014
Situation on Mariupol is under control, more reinforcements of RF units near the city registered
— NSDC of Ukraine (@NSDC_ua) October 3, 2014
This report claims #Ukraine signed a deal to buy Norwegian gas, with no details as to how much. http://t.co/BuzMEnKPF4 via @EuropeanPravda
— Chrystyna Lapychak (@chryslap) October 3, 2014
From AFP on today's fighting in Ukraine and the death of a Red Cross worker from shelling:
Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian forces were engaged in fresh clashes in the eastern city of Donetsk on Friday as they traded blame over the death of a foreign aid worker four weeks into their shaky truce.
Parliament speaker Oleksandr Turchynov claimed the cease-fire has been breached "over a thousand times" while the Kyiv government blamed the separatists for the death of a Swiss Red Cross employee on Thursday evening.
The shelling of the International Committee of the Red Cross office in Donetsk, which prompted a firm rebuke from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, was described as an "act of terror" by Kyiv.
"This terrorist act cannot be justified," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Bandits and terrorists, in a barbaric way, dared to take up arms against those who came... with a humanitarian mission."
Kyiv's military said in a statement the rebels have repeatedly fired on central Donetsk "to discredit the antiterrorist operation."
Ten civilians were killed on Wednesday when a school and bus stop was shelled on the first day of class.
The rebels blamed the recent attack on indiscriminate shelling by the Ukrainian Army from distant positions.
This just in from Reuters:
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS MORTAR BOMB FIRE THAT KILLED SWISS RED CROSS WORKER CAME FROM TERRITORY CONTROLLED BY UKRAINE FORCES - STATEMENT